Harmony: The Sin Chronicles
by GothicBlackStar
Summary: Muzai Aiborī wants to fit into her new school. But nothing is ever easy, she meets the mysterious Tsumi Kokutan and is introduced into a world she never knew existed.
1. Ebony

Author's Notes

**I'd appreciate it if this was read before you continue to read any further.**

This is my first Loveless fanfic, and normally I don't do a lot of OC fics. But I really wanted to do this. Basically it's set in the Loveless dimension, with the ears and the fighter/sacrifice, seven moons and what not. But it doesn't have Ritsuka, Soubi or ANYONE in the Manga/Anime. Imagine it as a parallel universe.

Hope you enjoy, leave a review if you like.

Disclaimer; I don't own Loveless. But I do own every character in this story.

* * *

Two students sat on one side of the empty classroom, they stared at the other girl across from them. One of the girls had short ash-blonde hair, she sat up on one of the desks and loosely swung her feet in the air. The other girl had long blue hair, she lent in the chair beside the other girl as they watched the new student from a far. Their ears were the same colour as their hair.

"New student?" The ash-blond asked with interest, she tried to keep her voice low.

"Yes." The blue-haired girl replied, her voice was also low.

"You mean, like a transfer student?"

"Not exactly.."

"What do you mean 'not exactly'?"

There was a small silence in the room. The two girls expected the other student to glare at them or come over to talk, or make some kind of movement; but she just sat at her desk all the same.

The blue-haired girl sighed and continued, "School started two weeks ago. She _just_ arrived." She explained bluntly.

"So, you mean this girl was _late_?" The blonde asked raising an eyebrow.

"Yes."

"Well, what's her name?"

"Muzai Aiborī."

The two watched Muzai with interest. They waited until she reacted to hearing her name being whispered, but once again, she just sat there across from them in silence.

"We should check her out after school." The blue-hair girl declared.

"Good idea!" The other agreed, raising her voice slightly, "She needs to know her place." She added with a grin.

Muzai hadn't ignored the other girls deliberately. She had just been raised not to eavesdrop, and she wasn't very good at the whole bully thing. She was quiet and shy, being two weeks late for school wasn't the best start; and that was on her mind. Well, that, and what she had been staring at the whole time she'd been sat down.

She was glad that her seat had been next to the window, it meant that she could look out while she was working instead of feeling closed in and tiny. The view wasn't the prettiest thing, but it wasn't un-sightly either. It just withheld the view of the school and part of the horizon which was a light mixture of red and blue from the sunrise. But Muzai wasn't interested in the horizon, she was interested in the figure that had just pulled up on the motorbike.

The bike was sleek and black, the figure riding it had a long leather coat on and a helmet, it was impossible to tell whether they were male or female.

Muzai watched as the stranger parked the bike and got off of it. The person looked fairly tall, but nothing was certain from this angle.

"_All the students here are underaged to drive, right?_" Muzai thought to herself. "_They must be a teacher_" She decided with a sigh and averted her eyes from the figure.

"Looks like Kokutan has arrived."

Muzai's ears couldn't help but over hear that. She looked over at the two girls who had been whispering about her before.

"That could complicate things later." The ash-haired girl said.

Muzai blinked a few times at the other girls.

"Later...?" She said aloud to herself and tilted her head in confusion.

Class had gone by quicker than expected. Muzai packed away all her books and things into her small bag and stood up from her desk. Everyone else seemed to have left, all except Muzai and the two girls from before.

"Where are you going, Aiborī?" The ash-blonde girl asked as she placed her hands on her hips and stood in front of the only exit in the room.

"Why don't you hang out with us for a while?" The other girl said as she crossed her arms over her chest and stood beside her companion.

Muzai looked at the two in silence before walking straight between them and exiting the classroom with ease.

"Sorry, I have classes." She said simply and turned the corner.

The ash-blond quickly grabbed at Muzai's bag and pulled her back.

"You don't need a bag this size for class." The bully stated cruelly and began to pull hard.

Muzai struggled and pulled the bag back, but in the brawl the bag's strap tore apart. Books and notes went flying, Muzai also fell onto the floor from the surprise of the sudden release from the bag.

The bullies began laughing, they kicked at the books on the floor.

"Aren't you going to pick them up?" They teased.

Muzai reached out for one of the damaged notes, but her hand was impaled by one of the girl's shoes. And it, unfortunately, had a large heel on it.

"Oops, I guess I just stepped on dirt." The bullies began teasing and laughing.

Muzai's hand continued to be beaten, she tried to pull her hand away, but it only made it worse for her.

"Hey!" A cold voice rang out through the hallway.

Muzai peered over her shoulder to see another student. She was female, and looked a few years older. But something was odd about her that Muzai couldn't put her finger on.

"Is that really necessary, Rai?" The older student asked, addressing the ash-blond bully.

Rai flinched slightly and removed her foot away from Muzai's hand, "This has nothing to do with you!" She yelled down the hallway.

Rai began backing up as the other student made her way towards them. Rai's companion seemed to be backing away too.

Muzai didn't know whether she should stay where she was or back away with her attackers. However, she did take the opportunity to gather her books and notes from the dirty floor while the bullies were distracted.

"I don't want to see you anywhere near her again." The older student announced once she reached Muzai's side.

Rai and her companion didn't give a reply, instead they just walked away slowly and disappeared around a corner.

Muzai let out a sigh of relief and stood up from the floor, she quickly thanked the other student and began to run off, but the older girl stopped her.

"You forgot something." She said holding out a book towards Muzai.

Muzai slowly reached for the book in the other girl's hands. And in a sudden, swift, movement Muzai's wrist was suddenly grabbed. She began to struggle frantically.

"Don't worry, I know first aid." The older girl said and stepped closer to inspect Muzai's bruised hand.

Muzai blushed from the other girl's gentle touch. She looked away and tried to think of something else, but she failed miserably. Instead she inspected the other girl's appearance.

The older student was very tall. She wore a long black leather jacket that reached to her knees. She had a hat over her choppy, short, silver hair. Muzai thought about her own oddly coloured red hair; she wondered if this silver haired student got picked on because of it. Her skin was insanely pale compared to Muzai's, it was also extremely clear.

And that's when Muzai realised what was odd about this stranger... She didn't have ears.

"_I can't be sure, she is wearing a hat after all._" Muzai thought to herself.

Finally the older girl was finished inspecting Muzai's hand. "It could use a dressing, do you have five minutes to spare?" She asked. Her voice seemed a little friendlier than before.

"Okay." Muzai whispered shyly, she had her eyes on the ground.

The older girl smiled slightly at Muzai's shyness. She led the younger girl though the hallway and eventually reached the Girl's Changing Room (for gym).

"There's normally a first aid kit in here." The silver-haired girl muttered to herself as she began to look through the room.

Muzai sat herself down on a bench in the middle of the room and looked at her now purple hand, she hadn't realised it was so bad. She couldn't feel a lot in it any more, it had gone numb after the first few hits it took.

Eventually the other girl came over with a first aid kit, she sat beside Muzai and gently dressed the wound. Muzai didn't say anything, she felt shy. Maybe because this girl could be an adult.

When her hand was dressed, Muzai finally looked at the other girl's face. She had always been raised to talk directly to someone, which meant looking at their face. She wanted to thank this girl, but Muzai suddenly forgot what she was going to say once her gaze fell upon the other girl.

"Your eyes.." Muzai whispered.

The silver-haired student heard Muzai's words clearly. But her face stayed expressionless. Not that Muzai would notice any change in expression, she was far too fixed on the girl's oddly coloured eyes.

Her left eye had a dark blue rim which faded into a sky blue and eventually faded into a deep brown, and her other eye was a mixture of green and yellow with a red circular shape towards the edge of the iris.

Muzai had read about heterochromia, but she never thought anyone had eyes like the ones she was staring at now.

"Were you born like that?" Muzai asked once she finally managed to avert her gaze.

"Yes." The other girl replied.

Muzai bit her lip, she hoped that she hadn't offended her, especially after what she had done for her.

"W-what's your name?" Muzai asked shyly. She kept her eyes fixed on the floor.

The other girl continued to stare at Muzai, "Tsumi Kokutan." She said simply.

Muzai frowned, she had heard that name before.

"I hope your hand gets better, Muzai." Tsumi said as she sat up and walked across the room towards the exit.

"Wait." Muzai called out.

Tsumi stopped and peered over her shoulder.

"Thank-you." Muzai said shyly.

Tsumi simply nodded before walking out of the room completely.

Muzai let out a long sigh. She stood up and carried her broken bag with her good hand and headed towards the door. She stopped suddenly in her tracks and thought for a moment.

"Did I tell her my name?" She asked aloud.

No. She was pretty sure she hadn't.

The rest of the day seemed slow, Muzai wasn't bothered by anyone else and class seemed fairly easy. But she couldn't stop thinking about Tsumi, and her eyes.

When it was over, Muzai made her way to the school's exit. It was growing dark outside already and the air had a crisp cold chill. Muzai wished she hadn't worn knee length socks and two big shirts. Sure, her torso was warm, but her legs were freezing.

Everyone seemed to have gone, she couldn't see anyone around. It was almost eerie. Thinking on instinct, Muzai quickened her pace and rushed out of the school gates.

No one was in the streets either.

She continued to rush down the road with her bag to her chest and her shaking cold legs carrying her. After she turned a sharp corner, she collided with someone.

Muzai scrambled around to retrieve her bag and it's (once again) spilt contents.

"I'm sorry." She managed to say once she had gathered most of the things off of the floor.

But to her surprise, it wasn't a friendly face glaring at her. It was Rai.

"Now you're just asking for trouble!" The ash-blonde yelled as she stood up from the ground.

Muzai backed away from the other girl. She stumbled off of the pavement's curb and fell into the street. But thankfully her bag remained whole this time.

Rai walked to the edge of the curb and looked down at Muzai.

"You're truly pathetic. I don't know why Kokutan defended you." She said in a low voice.

Rai's companion seemed to appear out of no where, or maybe she had always been there and Muzai hadn't noticed. The blue haired girl tried to drag Rai away, but the ash-blonde wouldn't listen.

"We should finish what we started." Rai declared and struggled free of the other girl's grasp.

Muzai closed her eyes in fear as Rai came closer.

But she never felt any pain.

Instead, a low noise of an engine could be heard in the distance. It slowly became louder.

Muzai opened her eyes to see that Rai had stopped in her tracks and was now looking off towards the dark road. In the distance a small light appeared, it became stronger and stronger as it came closer and closer.

Muzai realised that it was some sort of vehicle approaching, and she quickly got up out of the road. She ran to the pavement across from where Rai and her companion were standing.

"Kokutan." Rai hissed under her breathe.

Muzai frowned, was it really her?

The vehicle soon came visible under the street lights. It was the same motorbike Muzai had seen that morning.

The bike stopped in front of Muzai. The person riding it had a helmet on and wore a lot of black, as well as a long leather jacket.

There was a silence in the air.

"I thought I told you to stay away from her." The biker said bluntly.

Muzai's eyes widened, it was Tsumi's voice.

Rai clenched her fists and stepped out into the road.

"That little brat can't hide behind you forever!" She yelled.

Tsumi climbed off of the bike and stood a few feet away from Rai.

"Is there anything else you want?" Tsumi asked, her voice was emotionless.

"Yes there is." Rai replied smugly.

"Rai, it's no big deal. We should go." Rai's companion called out desperately.

"Shut up, Tio!" Rai yelled to the blue-haired girl.

Muzai frowned and backed away from Tsumi and the bike. She was so confused, and truly frightened.

"I declare a battle of spells!" Rai yelled into the night.

Tsumi smiled from underneath her helmet, "I accept." She said bluntly.

Upon Tsumi's words the entire atmosphere changed. Everything turned black, the only things within this new void were Rai, Tio, Tsumi, Muzai and the motorbike.

Muzai looked around frantically and gasped.

Rai laughed cruelly, "Are you taking her as your sacrifice? Honestly?" She mocked.

"Sacrifice?" Muzai whispered to herself in confusion.

"You didn't have to bring her in." Tsumi stated.

"You think you can go two against one?" Rai laughed, "Tio! Attack them!" She demanded.

Tio stepped up and held out her hand, "Rupture" She commanded.

Upon her words a shook wave was sent out of her palm and headed straight for Tsumi.

"Tsumi!" Muzai yelled out.

Tsumi stood still, unmoving for a few seconds, "Deflect." She ordered simply at the last second.

A shield suddenly surrounded Tsumi and Muzai, causing the attack to fail.

Rai hissed in anger, "Again!" She yelled.

Tio commanded the spell once again, Tsumi deflected it once more.

"Use fire! On the sacrifice!" Rai yelled in frustration.

Muzai's eyes widened as she saw Tio conjure up fire from her palms. The attack was then aimed straight for her.

Tsumi was quick and commanded a deflect spell, but the fire split through the shield.

Tsumi cursed and quickly jumped in front of Muzai, covering her from the blast of heat.

Everyone gasped, even Rai.

Tsumi's helmet fell from her head from the sudden pulse of energy. Muzai looked up at Tsumi, she had her back to the fire and her odd coloured eyes were fixed on Muzai's green ones.

Muzai frowned in sympathy when she saw what Tsumi had been concealing under her helmet and hat. She did have ears.

But they were torn up, scared, stitched and hardly pure. There was also a few piercings in them.

Muzai felt guilty for a moment, she had assumed that Tsumi had thrown away her innocence. But she was just hiding what was clearly her biggest secret.

"Finish them off!" Rai yelled, which snapped Muzai out of her trance.

Bright white ropes suddenly latched onto Tsumi's wrists and throat.

"We have them restrained! End it now!" Rai continued to order.

Tio raised her hand to attack, but she stopped halfway and lost her concentration.

Tsumi noticed Tio's weakness and she quickly turned around to face her foes.

"Solidify." She commanded in her cold tone.

"That's an advanced move!" Rai said with disbelief.

"True. But you're weak. You do not have a bond." Tsumi replied and began casting the spell.

"But you're restrained!"

"So are you."

Rai's eyes widened as she looked down at her own wrists. They were engulfed in chains. She didn't know when it had happened, Tio's spells must have backfired.

"Rip apart." Tsumi suddenly commanded, changing the previous spell.

Tio tried to deflect, but she had lost concentration and was growing weak. She received damage and was then restrained herself.

Rai struggled under the pain inflicted from the last blow, but she couldn't hold herself up any longer and fell to the floor.

Tsumi glared at the two weaker opponents, "Flatten." She whispered, commanding the last spell.

That last word whispered from Tsumi was the last thing Muzai remembered that night.

The next morning, Muzai awoke and tried to name if the previous events had just been a dream or if they had actually happened.

But her questions were answered when she noticed her hand was still neatly bandaged up.


	2. Melody

Author's Notes

Being ill is the best time to write, don't you agree?

So, for anyone who has the feeling of this fic being a Yuri fic, well, I'm not going to lie; there is Yuri.

Seeing as how _Loveless_ was a Yaoi story, I decided to have Yuri in mine. I also figure I'd do it because I'm a female and I can totally relate with things like this. (If that makes sense)

Just a simple reminder; All the characters in this fic are owned by me. There will be no one from the original _Loveless_ story.

Without further ado, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Loveless.

* * *

Muzai Aiborī had been two weeks late for the beginning of her first year in High School, having turned fifteen earlier that year. Unlike most girls her age, Muzai is extremely anti-social and incredibly shy. She has a big dream that one day she'd become a famous pianist and travel the world. But something even more... Unreal happens.

On her first day, Muzai had ended up in a fight with two students, Rai and Tio. But fortunately for her, she was saved by another student, Tsumi Kokutan.

Tsumi is a mystery to Muzai, especially with her oddly coloured eyes and the fact that her ears and tail are always hidden.

And had Muzai dreamt that Tsumi had fought Rai and Tio with magic?

Is it normal for High School students to experience this kind of stuff?

Muzai sighed, she didn't know if she really wanted to go to class again. But here she was all the same, sitting by the large windows like she had done the previous day. But unlike yesterday, there was no-one whispering about her from across the room.

The entire class was full of other students, they were all going about their own business, they had no reason to be gossiping about her. But Muzai couldn't help but feel a little paranoid.

About ten minutes after everyone had taken their seats, the teacher walked into the room. She was tall and had a strong aura about her. Her ears were gone and her face was very tight.

Muzai couldn't believe the words that had come out of the woman's mouth.

The first announcement before class was that two students, Rai Usugurai and Tio Tentō, had suddenly transferred to a new school.

The classroom fell into an atmosphere of whispers, mixed with vibes of happiness and suspicion.

Rai and Tio hadn't been the nicest classmates ever, and Muzai knew that. But she couldn't help but wonder what had actually happened.

She wasn't convinced that they had transferred, she was sure it was a cover-up story.

But Muzai didn't say anything about it, she didn't have anyone to talk to about it anyway. So despite the feeling of being lied to by her teacher, Muzai continued with her work in silence.

Most of the time she was peering out of the window rather than writing anything though. She was waiting for Tsumi to pull up outside on her motorbike again.

But she never did.

Class was slower than yesterday, it seemed that everyone was more interested in the sudden disappearance of Rai and Tio than working, so everything seemed to lag a little.

After class, Muzai made her way to the Nurse's office. The bandage on her hand needed to be changed, as well as the wound needed a proper check-over.

The room was small and tidy. It smelt of disinfectant and the walls were extremely white. The nurse was surprisingly a man. He was young and seemed to be a total perfectionist.

He changed the bandage on Muzai's hand and inspected the wound thoroughly. He'd asked what had happened, and Muzai had lied by telling him that she had shut it in a car door.

The nurse didn't seem suspicious of her excuse, he either believed her or didn't really care at all. Either way he still dressed it neatly and told her to come back in two days for a check-up.

By the time Muzai had gotten out of the Nurse's office, it was time for lunch. So she made her way to the cafeteria.

She found herself a table in the corner of the room. It could only fit two people at the most, and it was fairly far away from anyone else.

Her food was always homemade, so she didn't need to order anything from the school's kitchen.

The day slowly passed by, it was almost over when Muzai decided to find the music room.

She hadn't had a class in their yet and she only hoped that no one was using it at this time.

Muzai opened the music room's door slowly, she peered inside but couldn't see anyone. She smiled to herself and entered the room fully, closing the door behind her.

The room was quite large, with loads of space to move around in. It had many instruments all packed away in their cases and stored away in the cupboards that were built into the walls. There was a large grand piano in the corner, and that's the reason Muzai had come into the room.

She dropped her bag on the floor beside the piano's chair and sat down. Her emerald eyes glanced over the ivory and ebony keys.

She always found the piano elegant. It was large but beautiful, and although it looked strong, it could easily break.

It reminded her of someone.

Muzai took a deep breath in and then began to play. Her fingers glided across the keys swiftly, it was like her hands had a mind of their own.

She found it fortunate that she could still play with her hand bandaged up. But generally when you want something nothing really stops you until you get it.

Muzai was so fixed into the sounds that she was creating that she hadn't heard someone enter the room.

"Very impressive." A voice said.

Upon hearing someone talk, Muzai's hands jumped and the piano made a low startled jolt.

Muzai looked over her shoulder and saw a man.

He was very tall and very attractive. He had yellow eyes and short, scruffy, pink hair. He wore a simple black button-up shirt and worn out jeans.

He had no ears or tail, so Muzai's first guess was; Teacher.

"I hope I didn't startle you." He said with a kind smile as he walked across the room to a large desk.

Muzai tried to find words, but her mouth didn't want to move, "It's okay... I just didn't hear the door open.." She eventually replied quietly.

She continued to watch the man across the room. He was busy fumbling through papers and had his back to Muzai.

After a small silence, he looked over his shoulder at her.

"Please, continue. You're very good," He said with a small smile, "I hope you'll be taking this class in the future." He added.

"Are you the... Music teacher?" Muzai asked in a small voice.

The man nodded and wrote something down onto one of the papers he held, "Yep, I'm Kikoeru Merodī. And you must be Muzai Aiborī." He replied.

Muzai blinked a few times, "How did you know?" She questioned as her cheeks turned a light shade of red.

Merodī smiled again before replying, "All of the teachers know who you are, Aiborī-san. We've all gone through your previous records and we also know why you were two weeks late coming here." His voice didn't sound threatening, it almost sounded caring.

Muzai looked away from the pink-haired man's face and stared down at the piano again.

Merodī realised her sudden silence and walked over to her, "Don't worry. Your secret is safe with me." He said with a small smile.

Muzai looked back up and stared into his yellow gaze. She smiled back, shyly.

"Now, why don't you play something while I finish my work? That way everyone's happy." Merodī said as he walked back to his desk.

Muzai nodded and then began playing away once again.

By the time Merodī had finished his work and Muzai had to leave, it was eight thirty in the evening.

Muzai rushed through the hallways and ran down the stairs, missing them two at a time. She exited the building and was greeted by the cold air once again, just like she had the previous day.

She stood slightly hunched over trying to catch her breath, and then proceeded to exit the school grounds.

She almost missed the figure sitting up on the brick wall beside her.

Muzai gasped slightly.

It was Tsumi Kokutan.

Tsumi stared down at Muzai with her oddly coloured eyes. She had a hat on her head and wore a long black coat which was done up because of the cold air. She had her legs crossed, revealing that she wore knee-high boots with stiletto heels.

There was a small silence.

"I thought you may want someone to accompany you home, seeing as how your previous evening ended." Tsumi eventually said.

Muzai blinked a few times and shook her head slightly, "You don't have to.." She replied quietly and began to walk away. Despite the fact that she had a lot of questions for the silver-haired girl.

Tsumi jumped down from the wall and walked beside Muzai in silence. Muzai shyly looked away from the older girl as they walked through the cold night together.

"Where's your motorbike?" Muzai asked, trying to hide her shyness.

Tsumi put her hands in her coat pockets and looked off towards the street ahead, "It got in an accident." She said simply. Her voice didn't show much emotion.

Muzai looked away from the ground and back up to Tsumi's face, "You were in an accident?" She asked a little too frantically.

Tsumi smiled slightly at Muzai's change of tone, "No. My bike had the accident, I was busy somewhere else." She replied.

Muzai looked back down to the floor and her cheeks turned red, she didn't mean to suddenly burst out like that.

"How exactly did your bike have an accident without you there?" Muzai asked nervously.

Tsumi thought about the most positive answer she could give, "I left it parked in the middle of the road." She said with slight sarcasm in her voice.

Muzai frowned. She didn't know whether Taumi was joking, but she didn't say anything further about the bike. Instead her curiosity kicked in; "What happened to Rai and Tio?"

Tsumi raised an eyebrow and looked at Muzai's emerald eyes, "They transferred to another school." She stated mildly.

Muzai stepped up in front of Tsumi to stop the silver-haired girl from walking any further.

Tsumi didn't look surprised. It seemed as though she had expected it from the red-haired girl.

"What happened yesterday night?" Muzai asked, her tone was confident.

Tsumi stared at Muzai expressionlessly, "You bumped into Rai and Tio. I happened to be driving by, and then I took you home." She replied blankly.

Muzai frowned, "No... There was a fight... You had chains around your neck." She raised her voice and her hands clenched into fists.

Tsumi remained silent. She didn't even blink.

"Your helmet came off. I saw your ears." Muzai continued.

That sentence had got a reaction from Tsumi, making her eye twitch slightly.

Muzai waited for the other girl to speak.

"I don't have ears." Tsumi eventually said.

Muzai knew it was a lie.

"I don't need you to walk me home. I'll go myself!" Muzai yelled with frustration and ran off.

Tsumi continued to stare after the red-haired girl until she was completely out of sight.


	3. Lies

Author's Notes

Normally when I create a main female character in a story, they always turn out to be a spoilt little bitch. But Muzai turned out to be exactly what I wanted her to be.

She isn't perfect, but she's not a lost child either.

Normally when anyone creates a character, the author tends to add something that resembles themselves. And to be honest, the only things that Muzai and I have in common is the fact that she's a female and plays the piano.

And finally, I just want to give a quick description about Muzai's hair. When I say 'redhead' or 'red hair', I don't mean 'ginger', I mean bright, blood red. Or maybe just bright vermillion.

Just wanted to point that out.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Loveless.

* * *

Muzai didn't get up when her alarm rang the next morning. She hadn't been ignorant, just very tired. Normally she was an incredibly light sleeper and would wake up if a feather hit the floor. But for some reason, she had been in a very deep sleep this morning.

When she did wake up, and glance over at the clock, she discovered that she was an hour late for class.

Muzai sprang from her bed and rushed into the bathroom. She brushed her teeth as she combed her red hair into a ponytail.

She then ran back into her bedroom and attempted to put on her clothes, which had to be something easy to throw on. So in the end she left the house wearing shorts and a shirt two sizes too big.

Muzai breathed in the chilly morning air and sighed deeply. If her parents weren't away they would have made sure that she never missed school.

But her father was the head of a big company in America, and he was hardly ever home. And her mother was a famous model and fashion designer, so she was always away on trips to support her work.

Muzai never bragged about anything, but there was one thing she would never even let slip; Her family was very, very, very rich.

And normally, rich families lived in large mansions. Which Muzai had lived in before, but now that she had started High School she had moved in with her Aunt. For two reasons; 1. She still needed to live with an adult seeing as how her parents were hardly ever around, and 2. Because her Aunt's house was closer to school.

Well, it wasn't a house, it was a small apartment in a large building with hundreds of other small apartments.

Moving in with her Aunt had been one of the reasons why Muzai had been two weeks late for High School. According to Kikoeru Merodī, every teacher knew the reasons for her delay. And Muzai could only hope that the teachers weren't gossipers.

But as well as Muzai not being the bragging type, she was also not the type to complain.

However, if her secret was brought public, she'd have every right to complain.

Muzai hurried her pace across the streets, she was convinced that running would be quicker than taking the bus.

By the time she had reached the school's grounds, it was empty. Which most likely meant that everyone was in class.

Cursing to herself, Muzai continued to run. She entered the building and was greeted by the warm heat of the school's heaters. She hadn't realised how cold it was outside because she had been running the whole time.

She thought that her day couldn't get any worse, but she was soon proven wrong when she realised that she hadn't brought her bag with her.

She didn't know what classes she had because her time table had been in her bag, and she had no textbooks to work with either.

Muzai eventually slowed down her speed until she came to a full stop at the bottom of a nearby staircase. She sat herself down on the bottom step and tried to catch her breath as she attempted to recover her memory of what had been written on her time table.

In the end she came to the conclusion that there were two things that she was definitely supposed to be taking today, music and history.

Muzai bit her lip, she hated history. She was never good at it. So she decided to go with music instead.

Even if it was history this morning, she could always tell the teacher that she had gotten lost and couldn't find the classroom.

After an extra few seconds of taking in deep breaths, Muzai picked herself off of the stairs and made her way to the music room.

Unfortunately for Muzai, as soon as she reached the music room's door, class was over.

Students poured out of the room's exit, passing or bumping into Muzai as they made their way to their next classes.

Once everyone had left, Muzai stood in the hallway for a few minutes. She was standing in complete arrogance and disbelief.

Finally, she turned on her heel to head off to a different classroom herself.

"Aiborī-san?" A familiar voice called out.

Muzai looked over her shoulder to see Merodī standing in the door of the music room.

"I'm sorry I couldn't make it to class, Merodī-sensei." Muzai said as she turned around to bow an apology.

Merodī walked out into the hallway and closed the door to the music room behind him.

"That's fine. I'm sure you're not the type to miss class often." He said as he put a hand through his pink hair and yawned.

"It won't happen again.." Muzai said nervously.

Merodī nodded, smiled and walked passed the young redhead. Muzai couldn't help but blush slightly as their shoulders brushed against each other's.

She waited until his footsteps disappeared and let out a long sigh.

This morning wasn't going well.

By midday, Muzai had found out what other classes she would be taking. Nothing out of the ordinary had happened so far, and Muzai had felt normal for a while.

When lunchtime arrived, Muzai was in a mix-up again. She had forgotten her bag AND her lunchbox.

She clutched at her stomach as it made a gurgling noise. Watching other people eat wasn't a very good idea, so she slowly walked away from the cafeteria and decided to step out of the building for some fresh air.

Muzai pushed the exit's door open slowly and was greeted by fresh air, her cheeks flushed into a light pink colour as the change in temperature surrounded her like a blanket.

She walked over to the wall where she had been greeted by Tsumi the previous night.

And upon looking up at the brick wall, she couldn't help but wonder what Tsumi was doing right now.

Muzai tensed up at that moment when someone else walked out of the building.

She was completely shocked to see it was Tsumi.

The silver-haired girl had her head hung low as she walked passed. She was wearing her usual hat and coat, and seemed oblivious of the fact that Muzai was only a few feet away from her.

Tsumi continued to walk by, she didn't even look up as she passed Muzai; which annoyed the redhead for some reason.

"Kokutan-san.." Muzai called out shyly.

Tsumi stopped as she came to the school gates, she looked up from the ground and blinked in surprise. Muzai realised that she wasn't being ignored at all, it seemed that Tsumi was truly daydreaming.

"Yes?" Tsumi replied. Her voice sounded tired.

Muzai suddenly went speechless, she had no idea what to say to the other girl. She didn't know if Tsumi was mad about how she had suddenly ran off last night. Or even if the silver-haired girl wanted to talk to her.

"I'm sorry... For yelling... Yesterday..." Muzai muttered as she intentionally avoided Tsumi's oddly coloured eyes.

Tsumi smirked briefly and then looked back towards the street she had been heading towards.

"Have you eaten yet?" Tsumi asked.

Muzai's ears twitched and slumped slightly, the mention of food made her hungry. Even her stomach began making noises again.

"No.." She muttered in embarrassment.

Tsumi sighed and put her hands in her coat's pockets, "I was about to get a bite. Care to accompany me, Aiborī-san?" She asked. Her voice seemed emotionless.

Muzai looked up to finally meet the other girl's gaze, she hesitated slightly before nodding.

Tsumi put her head down again and then walked off. Muzai quickly sped up to join her side.

The two had walked in silence, but it wasn't an awkward silence like the last time they walked through the streets. It was almost... Normal.

Tsumi had said how she needed to stop at a shop to buy a few things, she had told Muzai to go on ahead to the café without her. But Muzai protested and continued to follow the silver-haired girl into the small shop.

The shop was practically empty, there was an elderly man sitting behind the counter reading a newspaper, and there was a small radio playing some sort of classical music, although it was hard to identify what had actually been playing because the machine was picking up static more than anything else.

There was at least two other costumers in the shop, so Tsumi and Muzai had no trouble moving around.

Muzai hadn't brought any money with her, because her purse was in her bag, so she couldn't buy anything. She began to question herself as to why she hadn't gone ahead to the café. But she realised that she just wanted to spend time with Tsumi. Even if it was in silence.

Tsumi had grabbed a small basket at the shop's entrance and began throwing things into it as she walked down the food aisles.

Muzai wondered if Tsumi was actually looking at what she was throwing into the basket. Although the older girl was in front of her and Muzai couldn't see her face, it looked as though she still had her head fixed onto the ground.

Eventually Tsumi did stop to look at the items in front of her. Muzai hadn't realised that Tsumi had stopped and bumped into the silver-haired girl's side.

"I'm sorry..." Muzai muttered and stepped back.

Tsumi hadn't reacted to being knocked into, she didn't even look over at Muzai. She just continued to scan the aisle in front of her.

Muzai followed the other girl's multicoloured gaze and saw that she had been scanning over assorted packets of sweets on the shelves.

"What do you fancy?" Tsumi eventually asked.

Muzai's eyes widened slightly and she blushed, "You don't have to buy me a-anything..." She replied.

"I want too." Tsumi responded without a moment's hesitation.

Muzai frowned and looked from the candy to Tsumi. She gave a small sigh before raising her hand and pointing to a box of Botan Rice Candy.

Tsumi grabbed the candy that Muzai had pointed at, and then she grabbed a few bags of assorted lollipops.

Finally she walked up to the counter and paid for everything.

Muzai watched the items go through the checkpoint, she was curious as to what Tsumi needed in her daily life.

"Do you have fish?" Muzai asked once they had stepped outside again.

Tsumi blinked a few times as if she was trying to work out why the red-haired girl would ask that question. She then looked down at the bags in her hands and realised that Muzai had seen the fish-food she had just bought.

"Yes. It's a hobby." Tsumi replied blankly.

Muzai frowned, "Keeping fish is a hobby?" She questioned.

"No," Tsumi replied with a smirk, "But feeding them is." She stated sarcastically.

The two girls continued their walk through the street and had lunch in a small café. Tsumi had bought Muzai's meal for her, even though the redhead tried to protest.

Tsumi herself didn't have anything to eat, but she did order a milkshake.

The whole time they were there Muzai had tried to make conversation, but Tsumi's tone was so emotionless and blank that Muzai wasn't sure if she was boring her or not.

Eventually they returned back to the school just in time for Muzai's next class.

"Aiborī-san." Tsumi called out as the redhead ran ahead so that she wouldn't miss yet another class.

Muzai stopped in her tracks and looked over her shoulder to face the silver-haired girl. Tsumi held out the box of Botan Rice Candy.

Muzai turned around fully and took the box, her hand brushed against Tsumi's briefly and she blushed slightly.

"Thank you, Kokutan-san." Muzai said shyly as she bowed in gratitude.

She didn't wait too long for a response and ran back into the building.

Her last few classes were slow and boring, Muzai wished that she had attended her music class that morning, but then she wouldn't have spent the afternoon with Tsumi.

Sighing to herself, Muzai quickly finished her work and proceeded to end the day.

In her last class, which was unfortunately history, everyone had to pick a partner to work with.

And in the end, Muzai was paired up with a boy.

He was handsome, but in a boyish way, not in a manly way. His eyes were dark and his hair was pitch black, and he had a very devious smile.

He walked over to Muzai and held out his hand.

"Uso Kuro." He introduced himself. His voice had a slight croak, but his accent was smooth.

Muzai shook his hand quickly and nervously, "Aiborī Muzai." She said, introducing herself.

Kuro sat beside Muzai and pulled out a large textbook, he began to flip through the pages and then proceeded to read in silence.

After a while, he looked over to Muzai.

"Aren't you going to read your textbook, Aiborī-san?" He asked in a low voice.

Muzai bit her lip and looked away from his gaze, "I forgot my bag... And all my things..." She muttered.

Kuro smiled and laughed quietly. He then moved closer towards her and opened his book wider.

"We can share." He said and then went silent again as he read.

"Thank you, Uso-kun." Muzai whispered and read along with her partner.

In the end, Muzai decided that today had been the most normal day of High School so far.

She walked out of the building into the cold air and let out a small sigh.

Before she could leave the school grounds, Kuro had caught up with her.

"Hey! I thought you might want to borrow this." He called out and joined her side.

Muzai looked at the book in his hands, it was the book they had shared in class.

She shook her head, "No, thank you. I have my own version at home." She replied nervously.

Kuro shrugged and stuffed the book into his bag. He then shivered from the night air.

"Aren't you cold wearing that?" Kuro asked as he glanced up and down Muzai's outfit.

Muzai shifted awkwardly. She didn't feel comfortable with his eyes all over her.

"No, I'm fine." She replied and began walking away again.

Kuro sped up and joined her side once more, "Can I walk you home?" He asked with a small hint of sarcasm in his voice.

Muzai moved a little faster as she thought of a reply. Thankfully, she saw a figure sitting up on the wall again and an answer came to mind.

"No. I have someone to pick me up." She said happily and her tail began to sway with happiness.

Muzai smiled sweetly at Kuro before running up to the wall where Tsumi had been waiting for her.

"Goodnight, Uso-kun!" Muzai called before she walked out of sight.

Tsumi followed the red-haired girl. But before she turned the corner, her eyes glared over at Kuro.

Kuro stepped back uneasily and waited for the two to disappear. Once they had, he pulled out his phone from his trousers' pocket and dialled a number.

"Hey, it's Uso." He said down the phone.

He waited for a moment as someone spoke on the other end.

"Yeah, I've located the Aiborī girl." He said with a small smile.

Once again he waited for a reply.

"Oh, it gets better," He said with cockiness, "How? I'll tell you how. You'll never guess who's with her."

Another silence.

"Yep, Kokutan Tsumi." Kuro replied with a devious grin, "Sensei will be pleased."


	4. Trust

Author's Notes

The more I write this, the more I want it to be an anime...

If there is one thing I hate about writing, it's when I describe a person's clothing. It drives me CRAZY!

...

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Loveless.

* * *

Muzai sighed and ran a hand through her long, tangled, red hair. She had set her alarm clock to awake her an hour earlier than usual, she didn't want to be late like she had been the previous day.

She tied her hair into two loose ponytails and got changed. She dressed herself in a large hoodie and a pair of purple leggings.

She looked at herself in the mirror and frowned, she never seemed satisfied with her appearance. But like most things, Muzai didn't let it bother her.

She walked out of her room and passed the living-room where a woman was sleeping on the sofa.

Muzai frowned at the woman; it was her Aunt.

Once again it seemed that she had too much to drink and didn't have the energy to make it to her bed last night.

Muzai let her Aunt sleep and walked into the kitchen to make herself some toast and jam. She ate it quickly and then made her lunch for school.

By the time Muzai had finished in the kitchen and retrieved her bag from her room, the sun had started to rise.

She quietly exited the apartment and made her way down the many steps of the building. Her Aunt's apartment was on the fifth floor, so everyday was a hardcore work-out for Muzai.

As Muzai rushed along, her mind began to think about the letter she had received during the week. It was about her brother and it had been sent by her parents.

The reason why she had been two weeks late coming to High School was because of him.

The Aiborī family's name was well known over in America, and there were only two children in the family; Muzai and her older brother, Hakai.

Being the oldest, Hakai had a lot of responsibilities, the main one being to take care of Muzai whenever their parents weren't around. Which happened often.

But Hakai had problems of his own and eventually he led two very separate lives. Which eventually led him to getting himself arrested.

Muzai had no idea what it was her brother had done. But she knew it was serious because he had been sentenced for life.

The letter had said that her parents were returning to Japan briefly. And that they had already booked a table in a restaurant not too far from Muzai's school. And today was the day she would be meeting them there.

Up until two weeks ago, Muzai had lived in her parent's house. She hadn't actually been told by her parents in person to move into her Aunt's house, they had told her to move by letter. Muzai hadn't actually seen her parents in months.

Which only made her feel even more nervous about meeting them again.

Muzai sighed and thought about her plans for the day. Obviously her parents had booked the table for after school, and Muzai had to quickly rush home and change into something more formal before meeting them. Her Aunt would also accompany her, it was clearly a family meeting.

All to discuss about Hakai.

She didn't let it bother her any further, she pushed the thought aside and decided to concentrate on her classes. She could worry about her family afterwards.

Muzai strolled into her school's building with determination. Today she hadn't forgotten anything and was confident enough that she could survive the day without having to depend on somebody else.

She was also earlier than usual, and that meant she didn't have to rush. Her first class was mathematics, so she slowly made her way towards it.

Muzai wasn't surprised to see that the room was empty when she reached it. She took a seat by the window and pulled out her textbook, she was focused on getting a little ahead of everyone else. But her genius plan was crushed when someone else walked into the room.

Kuro Uso.

"Good morning, Aiborī-san. I never thought we'd be seeing this much of each other." He remarked cockily as he took the seat beside Muzai.

The red-haired girl glanced over at him briefly before returning to her book.

Kuro rolled his eyes slightly and slumped into his chair, "So how long have you known Kokutan-san?" He suddenly asked, his cracked voice sounded sarcastic.

Muzai widened her eyes in surprise. She closed the book and looked at Kuro directly.

"Not very long... Why...?" Muzai replied slowly.

Kuro smirked slightly and glared into Muzai's emerald eyes.

"She's dangerous. I don't think an innocent girl like you should hang around her kind." He stated matter-of-factly.

There was a small silence between them as they held each other's gaze.

Normally Muzai would ignore someone who tried to tease her. But for some reason she wanted to defend Tsumi, even though she hardly knew her. She wanted to tell Kuro that he was wrong for thinking about Tsumi like that.

Just as Muzai opened her mouth to respond to Kuro's words, students began to walk in and the room began to fill up.

Muzai didn't want to create a scene, so she quickly averted her green gaze from Kuro's face and went back to reading her book.

Once class was over, Muzai darted from the room before Kuro could talk to her again. He creeped her out and made her feel uncomfortable, she just didn't like him.

She remembered that the Nurse had wanted to check-up on her hand, so she proceeded to head for the Nurse's office.

Muzai had her hand re-dressed and spent the rest of her classes like any other student would. Eventually her final class arrived for the day, music.

And Muzai couldn't have been happier.

Merodī had clearly been as pleased as Muzai was when he saw her enter the room.

It was yet again a class in which everyone had to pair up with someone.

Muzai didn't like the idea at first but in the end she was paired up with Merodī because another student hadn't turned up, so they were one person short.

And Muzai didn't complain at all.

Finally the time came when Muzai had to rush home to get changed for the family reunion.

She rushed out of the building into the cool air and darted through the school grounds. She had been going so fast that she almost missed Tsumi sitting up on the wall waiting for her.

"In a hurry, Aiborī-san?" The silver-haired girl asked as the redhead ran by.

Muzai almost tripped as she tried to come to a halt in her dash. She breathed heavily and slowly walked up to the wall where Tsumi sat.

"I have to be somewhere... It's important..." Muzai replied through deep breaths.

Tsumi jumped down from the wall and joined Muzai's side.

"So you don't need me to walk you home?" Tsumi asked bluntly as she raised a silver eyebrow.

Muzai frowned slightly as she stared into Tsumi's multicoloured eyes. She wished that she didn't have to go to see her parents, she wanted to spend time with this mysterious student. But Tsumi had done so much for her in the past three days, and they hardly knew each other.

And Muzai didn't want to become a burden on her.

"It's okay... You don't have to walk me home tonight. I'll be fine." Muzai said quietly.

Tsumi blinked a few times, but she eventually nodded and walked off.

Muzai began walking away too. But as much as she didn't want to become a burden to Tsumi, she didn't want to miss any opportunity with her either.

Muzai turned on her heel, "Kokutan-san." She called out.

Tsumi stopped walking and turned her head in response.

Muzai ran up to the other girl and took her hand nervously.

"Come with me..." Muzai whispered.

Tsumi turned around to face Muzai fully. She re-arranged her own hand in Muzai's to make it more comfortable for the both of them.

"You want me to walk you home?" Tsumi asked, not entirely sure what it was the younger girl was asking.

Muzai shook her head, "No... Come with me to meet my family..." She replied, her voice had grown small.

Tsumi blinked in surprise and looked deeply into Muzai's green eyes.

"I don't want to face them alone." Muzai added quietly.

And that was all Tsumi needed to hear.

"Alright. I'll come with you, Aiborī-san." Tsumi replied.

Muzai was shocked. She didn't think that Tsumi would actually agree. But she wasn't going to start complaining now.

Remembering that she was on time, Muzai ran along the streets. Clutching Tsumi's hand tightly the whole way.

In the previous time that Tsumi had walked Muzai home, they had never actually reached the building together. Muzai had told Tsumi that she could walk the rest of the way on her own once the two had reached a small bridge. Muzai's Aunt's apartment building being located on the other side of the bridge that they had parted ways on.

So Tsumi was a little surprised to find that Muzai lived on the fifth floor of a very large building. And she had no idea that they needed to climb many staircases to reach the apartment.

Once the two had come to the apartment door and let themselves inside, they were both breathless.

"I shouldn't have made you climb all of those stairs..." Muzai said as she panted for breath.

Tsumi hunched over slightly and caught her breath, "It's fine.." She muttered in response.

Muzai smiled slightly, it seems that running wildly through the deserted streets holding Tsumi's hand had given her a rush of excitement. It made her want to drag the silver-haired girl outside and do it all over again.

Just as Muzai was about to speak again, her Aunt suddenly appeared in the doorway at the end of the hall.

"Where have you been Muzai? You better hurry up and change." Muzai's Aunt called out.

Her Aunt was fairly small, she had her red hair tied into a scruffy bun on the top of her head, she didn't have any ears. The older woman had put on a black and red polka-dot dress that reached her knees, and was thumbing around with her earrings as she spoke.

"We'll be late if you don't-" She stopped talking once she had looked up and noticed Tsumi standing at the end of the hallway.

Muzai quickly let go of Tsumi's hand as her Aunt's eyes scanned the scene.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know Muzai was bringing a friend," Muzai's Aunt said as she placed a hand on her hip.

Tsumi stepped up and held out a hand, "Kokutan Tsumi." She said introducing herself.

"Aiborī Shinrai. But call me Shinrai, I'm not too good with the whole formal thing." The older woman said taking Tsumi's hand and shaking it firmly.

"In that case, feel free to call me Tsumi." Tsumi said with an emotionless tone.

Shinrai nodded with a satisfied smile, "I like you already." She said with a warmhearted laugh. Her eyes then glanced over at Muzai, who had been nervously watching the two. "Come on Muzai. Hurry up and change, we don't wanna keep my brother waiting." Shinrai said.

Muzai nodded and walked by Tsumi quickly and entered her room. She decided that black would suit the occasion and changed into a tight fitting skirt, a long sleeved jumper, black laced tights and simple black slip-on shoes.

She re-did her hair and then stepped back into the living room.

Shinrai had been chatting to Tsumi on the sofa, it looked like Tsumi wasn't really listening, or that's what Muzai thought anyway. Because when she stepped out of her room, Tsumi's oddly coloured eyes never left Muzai's face.

When Shinrai noticed that Muzai was ready, she sat up from the sofa and walked over to the young redhead.

"You look beautiful. Are you sure you want to go?" She gently asked her niece.

Muzai's green eyes looked from her Aunt's face to Tsumi's eyes before nodding slowly.

"I can do this." She said quietly, but confidently.

Shinrai nodded with a small smile of pride, "Alright then. Lets go." She said and walked out of the apartment.

Tsumi stood up from the sofa and carefully re-arranged her hat before walking up to Muzai's side.

"After you, Muzai." She said in a small whisper.

Muzai blushed, Tsumi had only called her by her first name when they had met for the first time. It sounded weird to hear it come from the other girl's mouth.

Muzai quickly walked ahead so that Tsumi wouldn't notice her blushing. But Tsumi could see right through her.

Shinrai had ordered a taxi to take them to the restaurant. It was a lot easier than having to walk the whole way. The older woman had said something about getting drunk if everything ended in a massacre. But Muzai tried to not think about all the possible negatives that could happen tonight, she tried to make herself feel happy. After all, she was seeing her parents again after a long time.

The taxi ride was no longer than half an hour. Shinrai had been charming the driver most of the time, so they got off easy and didn't have to pay a lot when the ride was over.

Muzai nervously stepped out of the vehicle and glanced over at the restaurant's entrance. She so badly wanted to climb back into the taxi and let Shinrai handle her parents, but having Tsumi accompany her gave her a little more confidence. Or maybe she just didn't want to show her weaknesses in front of the other girl.

Eventually Shinrai joined Muzai's side and she lead her into the restaurant. Tsumi followed behind closely.

The restaurant was packed with people, which made Muzai uncomfortable. It was stuffy and smelt of sweat as well as freshly cooked meals.

Shinrai made her way through the crowds of people with ease, pushing and slipping through like it was the most simplest thing in the world. Muzai wasn't as experienced as her Aunt however, and she almost lost the older woman in amongst a group of people. But Tsumi quickly grabbed Muzai's hand and dragged her over to Shinrai's side as they came to her parent's table.

Muzai's parents were fairly young. Her father wore a dark suit, and his green eyes were glancing through a pair of small spectacles. Muzai got most of her traits from her father's side of the family, such as the vermillion hair and the emerald eyes.

Her mother had blonde hair and amber eyes, she wore a red strapless dress and looked extremely beautiful, which made Muzai jealous sometimes.

The two looked up from their menus as Muzai and Shinrai arrived.

"Ah, there you are Muzai! My look how you've grown!" Muzai's mother said with a happy tone. She stood up from her chair and walked around the table to hug her daughter.

Muzai hesitated at first, but she eventually returned her mother's embrace and smiled happily.

"And Shinrai! How are you?" Her mother finished hugging Muzai and walked over to her sister-in-law.

Shinrai gave her a quick hug and then stepped back, "I'm fine. What about you, Bi?"

Muzai's mother, Bi, smiled to herself and walked back around the table to her chair.

"I've never been better, I have a contract with a great company now. My products will be worldwide before you know it!" Bi said happily.

Shinrai forced a smile. She never liked the fact that her brother married Bi, but she never said anything.

"And how are you, Ōdā?" Shinrai said, turning to her brother.

Ōdā looked up at his sister and his eyes squinted slightly, "Are you still drinking, Shinrai?" He asked, completely ignoring her question.

"I have a few drinks every now and then. But I can handle it. Don't worry, brother." Shinrai said casually as she sat herself down beside him.

Muzai knew that her Aunt was lying, but she didn't dare speak up.

Bi suddenly looked up at Muzai, "Come Muzai, sit down and tell us all about High School." She said raising her hand to the chair across from her.

Muzai was about to obey her mother's orders, but she suddenly remembered that Tsumi was still beside her.

"Mother, Father. This is Kokutan Tsumi. I invited her to dinner." Muzai said, she sounded nervous but she didn't stutter.

Bi and Ōdā looked up in surprise. Muzai never made friends when she was little, so they were surprised that their daughter would invite a stranger to a family reunion.

"My... I hope you don't mind me saying, but are your eyes always like that?" Bi asked as she gestured for Tsumi to sit down.

"Yes. I was born with them this way." Tsumi replied and sat down beside Shinrai.

Ōdā looked closer at Tsumi's face, but the silver-haired girl's glare was so cold that he immediately averted his gaze, "They're certainly unusual." He muttered.

Muzai sighed with relief and sat beside Tsumi, she was glad that Tsumi's eyes got more attention than the hat she wore over her head.

After Bi and Ōdā had talked about what they had been doing for the past few months, the matter of Hakai turned up.

"Do you know about Muzai's brother, Koktaun-san?" Bi asked before they got into full detail.

"Yes, Muzai has told me about him." Tsumi lied.

Muzai widened her eyes slightly, she glanced over at Tsumi's expressionless face, and then looked at her parents.

"Yes... I have mentioned him... Before." Muzai muttered.

She didn't want to say that Tsumi had lied. That would make her parents ban the silver-haired girl from the table.

Ōdā cleared his throat awkwardly and then spoke, "Well, your mother and I have come up with a cover story about your brother's imprisonment. It could ruin our jobs if word got out about his sentence." He stated bluntly.

Muzai frowned and turned to her mother. Bi avoided Muzai's gaze.

"If someone asks about your brother, you must say that he has been hospitalised until further notice," Ōdā continued, "We'll try and spread the word that he has recently experienced a very severe accident and that he will probably-"

"No!" Muzai yelled, cutting off her father's words.

The table fell silent.

"Hakai isn't a vegetable! He's perfectly fine, he just made a mistake!" Muzai said as she stood up and slammed her hands down on the table.

"Muzai, word can't get out about what he's done. It could ruin our family name." Bi said softly, trying to calm her daughter down.

"No, it's wrong! He's still my brother, and I love him." Muzai yelled, she was desperately trying to fight back the tears forming in her eyes.

"Muzai, it's already been done. We've already phoned your school and asked the teachers to keep their mouths shut. We just arranged this dinner to tell you gently." Ōdā said, his voice was straight forward and stern.

Muzai frowned at her father, "You already lied about him? What kind of a family do you want us to be if we can't even agree together?!" She yelled.

Shinrai had held her tongue, but she was on Muzai's side completely.

"Muzai, don't yell. You're making your friend feel uncomfortable," Bi said as she tried to reach a hand to Muzai's shoulder, "People are beginning to stare." She added in a whisper.

"That's all you care about isn't it? People's opinions! You never cared about Hakai and I, you just cared about your stupid reputation!" Muzai spat and then left the table, she pushed people away in her frustration.

Shinrai sighed deeply and glared at her brother, "Screw this." She muttered and then called someone over and ordered a bottle of sake.

Tsumi waited until everyone at the table began yelling at each other, and then she snuck away from the table.

Muzai ran into the woman's bathroom and slammed her hands down on the large sink built into the wall of the room. There was no one in the cubicles, but there was a small group of girls in the corner of the room smoking.

They all became uncomfortable with Muzai's crying and left the room, which offended Muzai and made her cry even more.

She had ran away from the table because she didn't want to cry in front of her parents. Or Tsumi.

Once her sobbing had slowed down, she took deep breaths in and hung her head low. She took a few moments just staring into the sink beneath her and gathered her thoughts together.

She heard the door open behind her, and quickly stood up straight so that no one thought she was a big crybaby.

Her green eyes glanced over to see Tsumi standing by the door.

The silver-haired girl locked the door to the room so no one could disturb them.

"I'm sorry... I didn't mean to.." Muzai tried to speak but everything washed over her again and tears rolled down her cheeks once more.

Tsumi tilted her head slightly and walked up to Muzai.

Muzai put her head in her hands and turned away from the older girl.

"I want... To be... Alone..." Muzai muttered through her tears, "I don't want... You to see me cry." She added.

Tsumi stepped closer, but she didn't say anything.

"I just... I want to... be normal..." Muzai said, her voice raised slightly with anger.

"You are normal." Tsumi stated bluntly.

Muzai pulled her hands away from her face and she turned to face Tsumi, who was only a few inches away from her.

"You're talented, you have an Aunt who loves you. And you're very pretty." Tsumi said slowly.

Muzai frowned, "I'm nothing to look at, especially now that I've been crying..." She muttered as she crossed her arms over her chest in arrogance.

Tsumi slowly moved closer until there was no space left between her and the younger girl. She held Muzai's emerald eyes with her multicoloured gaze and gently held Muzai's head between her hands.

Muzai gasped quietly as Tsumi wiped her tears away with her thumbs. No words were said until all her tears had been cleared.

Tsumi leant in closer and Muzai's cheeks flushed into a bright pink colour. She didn't pull away or struggle, instead she closed her eyes as Tsumi drew closer to her face.

Muzai was a tiny bit disappointed when Tsumi whispered into her ear.

"I want to show you something beautiful." Tsumi said gently.

Muzai continued to close her eyes as Tsumi turned her around.

"Open your eyes." Tsumi whispered.

Muzai did as she was told and came face-to-face with the giant mirror on the wall behind the sink.

She stared into her own emerald eyes and frowned slightly.

"You're perfect." Tsumi said as she stood behind Muzai.

She quietly pulled Muzai's hair back from the younger girl's face and let it fall behind her back.

"There's no such thing as perfect." Muzai muttered breathlessly.

Tsumi smirked slightly, she looked at Muzai's reflection and continued to lace her fingers through the vermillion strands gently.

"If there was, you'd be it." Tsumi replied quietly.

Muzai didn't say anything else, she just blushed and then peered up to look at Tsumi's reflection.

Tsumi stared back at her, she then glanced down and her hat covered her multicoloured eyes.

"You lied before..." Muzai muttered, making Tsumi look back at her.

"You said you didn't have ears..." Muzai said with a croak in her voice.

Tsumi removed her hands from Muzai's hair and laced an arm around the other girl's waist, making Muzai blush uncontrollably.

"What does having ears mean?" Tsumi asked as she leant her chin onto Muzai's shoulder.

"It means... That you're... Not an adult..." Muzai replied in a nervous voice.

Tsumi smiled, "Wrong answer. Having ears mean that you're still innocent and pure," She whispered into Muzai's ear as her free hand reached for her hat and took it off, "And I'm not innocent or pure, which means I don't have ears." She stated.

Muzai looked at Tsumi's reflection. The ears that she covered up were just as the redhead had remembered. They were torn and scarred, stitched and broken. There were also a few earrings on one of them.

Muzai frowned, whatever Tsumi had done she was definitely right; she wasn't pure or innocent.

The two continued to stare at their reflections in silence. Tsumi kept her arm around Muzai's waist until they were disturbed by someone banging on the door.

Tsumi removed her arm from Muzai and placed her hat back on her head. She walked over to the door and unlocked it.

Shinrai stumbled inside and almost tripped over.

"Come on Muzai. Your parents had to leave so there's no reason to stay." Shinrai slurred, it was clear that she had drank too much again.

Muzai quickly joined her Aunt's side to steady her, "Yeah, let's go home." Muzai agreed as she led Shinrai out of the room.

They walked out of the building into the cold air and called a taxi, Shinrai climbed in awkwardly and Muzai followed.

The redhead turned around to wait for Tsumi to climb in too.

"Aren't you coming?" Muzai asked in a quiet voice.

Tsumi had been looking off into the distance of the dark street, she glanced over at Muzai briefly and shook her head.

"No, this is where we part for now. Goodnight, Muzai." Tsumi said and closed the door of the taxi before Muzai could protest.

Tsumi watched the taxi drive off before she walked towards the figure she had been glaring at down the street.

It was Kuro Uso.

"I never thought I'd find you with a normal high school student." Kuro said as he walked into the empty street.

Tsumi stopped a few feet away from him and glared at him cruelly.

"Why are you following her?" She asked in a cold voice.

"Aiborī Muzai was the only thing we heard Rai and Tio say when they returned," Kuro replied with a small shrug, "Oh, they'll probably never walk again by the way." He added.

Tsumi didn't blink, she just continued to stare down at the younger boy.

"Are you coming back or what? Because Sensei said I can force you if I have to." Kuro said as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Tsumi flinched slightly. Kuro noticed this and smiled deviously.

"So? What's your answer?" He asked raising an eyebrow.

"No." Tsumi said bluntly.

Kuro cursed quietly, "Fine. I declare a battle of spells." He said raising his voice.

"I accept." Tsumi replied.

Suddenly Kuro and Tsumi were standing in a black void with absolutely nothing but darkness around them.

"Where's your sacrifice?" Tsumi asked raising a silver eyebrow.

"I'd ask you the same thing," Kuro said, his voice had a worried tone, "Rip apart!" He commanded, raising a hand.

"Deflect." Tsumi countered emotionlessly.

A shield formed around her and Kuro's attack failed.

Kuro clenched his teeth in annoyance, he was about to attack again but he was interrupted by his phone ringing.

Tsumi raised an eyebrow in amusement as Kuro cursed and pulled the device from his pocket.

"What?!" He yelled down the phone.

There was a small silence.

Kuro's eyes widened in surprise, "Sensei?" He said aloud.

Upon hearing this, Tsumi quickly commanded an attack.

"Cut!" She yelled, the attack slashed Kuro across the wrist and he dropped the phone.

Tsumi picked up the item once it fell at her feet, she put it to her ear.

Kuro looked up and tried to attack, but Tsumi commanded another spell.

"Rip apart." She said blankly and Kuro was covered in a shower of attacks.

"Well, Tsumi it is you. And I thought Uso-kun had been lying." A voice said on the other end of the phone.

Tsumi gasped slightly, "Sensei?" She whispered.

"Now Tsumi, you haven't exactly been on your best behaviour have you?" The voice said in a chilling, slightly seductive, tone.

"Leave Aiborī Muzai alone." Tsumi said finally coming back to her normal self.

"Oh don't worry. I never really wanted anything to do with her, we just wanted to know who could have beaten Rai and Tio so savagely," The voice replied, "But it wasn't Aiborī who crippled them was it? It was you."

Tsumi went silent for a moment, "Yes it was me. They went against my orders." She replied.

"To stay away from Aiborī I assume? You didn't have to rebuild their limbs with your motorbike!" The voice said growing irritable, "Put Kuro back on!"

Tsumi looked up from the dark floor to see Kuro struggling against the many chains he was restrained in due to the last blow that Taumi had commanded.

"Kuro's a little tied up at the moment. I'll make sure he calls you back." Tsumi said with a small smile.

She removed the phone from her ear and crushed it in her hands.

Kuro's eyes widened at Tsumi's strength.

"Now, where were we?" Tsumi asked with a sly smile.

Kuro was certain that Tsumi Kokutan was insanity walking around in human form.


	5. Black

Author's Notes

I never thought that I'd learn so much about Japan from writing this...

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Loveless.

* * *

Muzai snuck through the house quietly, she didn't know how bad her Aunt's hangover would be this morning and she didn't want to disturb her sleeping.

Muzai walked into the kitchen, she entered the room with her eyes fixed on the floor and didn't see that her Aunt was sitting at the table.

"Morning." Shinrai said in a tired voice as she drank from her coffee cup.

Muzai yelped in surprise, "I thought you were still sleeping." She said in a high voice.

Shinrai groaned slightly and covered her ears, "Please don't go super-sonic-pitch Muzai. Your dear Aunt is in agony." She said with a small tired smile.

Muzai smirked back, apologised and then tried to make the least noise she possibly could as she went around the kitchen making her breakfast and her packed lunch.

Once she was finished, she walked around the table and hugged her Aunt goodbye. Shinrai winced slightly from the throbbing in her head, but she didn't hesitate to hug her niece back tightly.

After Muzai had left the house, Shinrai laid her head down on the table and let out a long groan. She then decided to make another cup of coffee and walked over to the counter groggily.

Upon opening one of the small cupboards above the counter, a packet of sugar fell and landed in the small bin on the floor.

Shinrai sighed and cursed under her breath. She went to pick it up and found a piece of paper that had been scrunched up and thrown into the bin. She raised an eyebrow and took it out.

After she had made her coffee and sat back down at the table, she straightened it out and read it.

She frowned slightly and sighed, it was a letter informing the parents or guardians of Aiborī Muzai to attend Parents evening. Muzai clearly didn't want her parents to come.

Shinrai stuffed the letter into her dressing-gown pocket and sipped on her hot drink.

Bi and Ōdā may have let Muzai down and broken their promises, but Shinrai never had; and she wasn't going to start now.

Muzai jogged slightly into the school building, her first class was history and she needed to reach it before anyone else.

She opened the door and smiled to herself when she found that no one else was in the room. She picked her spot by the large window and pulled out her book, she needed to catch up with the rest of her class.

After a few minutes had gone by, Muzai frowned. Normally by now Kuro Uso would have joined her, and would either be teasing her or eyeballing her.

But no one came into the room. In fact, the entire class had been cancelled.

Muzai frowned at the notice on the whiteboard. She sighed to herself and wondered how on earth she had missed it before.

Packing her things away, she left the room in embarrassment.

With a few hours of free time, Muzai wondered if she could locate Tsumi. It bothered the redhead that she had never shared a class with Tsumi, she wondered what exactly it was that Tsumi did here.

She searched for a while but found no sign of the silver-haired girl. Instead of getting frustrated over the situation, Muzai made her way to the music room.

Surprisingly, no classes were being held in the music room either. Muzai didn't let the thought bother her and she walked into the large room.

Merodī was at his large desk going through paperwork, he looked up briefly when the door opened and a small smile crept onto his face.

"Aiborī-san, good morning." He called out to her.

"Good morning, Merodī-sensei." Muzai replied, bowing slightly in his direction.

She made her way across the room to the piano and sat down before it. She didn't play it though, she just went into a deep thought and rested her head on her hands.

Merodī frowned and looked up again, "Are you going to play anything?" He asked with a confused tone.

His words brought Muzai out if her daydreaming and she looked over to him, "Yes, I was just... Thinking of things..." She said in a quiet voice.

"Anything I could help with?" Merodī asked as he leant forward in his chair.

Muzai looked away from his face and stared down at the ebony and ivory keys in silence. And then a thought came to mind.

"Do you know anything about a student called Kokutan Tsumi?" Muzai asked, turning around to look at Merodī directly.

Merodī's yellow eyes widened slightly, and then he frowned, "I know quite a bit about her. Why do you ask?" He replied.

Muzai bit her lip in thought, she didn't know if she wanted to hear something bad about Tsumi, and she didn't want to use Merodī like that.

"I just wanted to know what classes she takes," Muzai replied quickly, "What about... Uso Kuro?" She asked, trying to make it seem as if she wanted to know about her classmates in general and not just about one of them.

Merodī raised a pink eyebrow, "I don't think I've ever heard of an Uso Kuro. I could check if you want." He replied.

Muzai frowned, she looked to the ground in confusion. Merodī could have easily forgotten a few students, so Muzai shook it off quickly.

"No, it's alright. But thank you for offering, Sensei." Muzai said in a small voice.

She turned herself around again and sat in front of the piano, she didn't hesitate to move her fingers across the keys in a powerful motion this time.

Merodī smiled with satisfaction, he thought Muzai was a very gifted young girl. He didn't know why she had to have the parents who ordered people to lie about their families.

The rest of the day went by quickly, and when the evening came, Muzai was nervous. She had thrown away the letter about Parents evening, but she was still paranoid about the fact that her parents would show up. Not that they would because Muzai hadn't shown either of them the letter, but the redhead was still extremely nervous.

The thought suddenly crossed her mind that Tsumi's parents might show. Muzai was curious about what Tsumi's family was like and she suddenly became excited and went looking for Tsumi outside.

Normally by now the silver-haired girl would be sitting up on the wall by the school gates.

But there was no Tsmui waiting today.

Muzai frowned and walked up to the wall, she glanced around the school grounds looking for the silver-haired girl.

But by now there was a lot of people walking around, mostly parents. Some students came out and greeted their families, even teachers came out and introduced themselves. Muzai felt uncomfortable, her parents wouldn't be coming and Tsumi was nowhere to be seen.

The redhead was about to give up and go home early, but someone suddenly stopped her.

"Aiborī-san? Are your parents coming?" It was Merodī.

He walked up to Muzai through the crowds of families and joined her side.

"No... They're not coming..." Muzai muttered shyly.

Merodī let out a long sigh and shuddered slightly from the cold air, he had put on a large coat and had a black scarf draped around his neck. His yellow eyes were glancing through the crowds of people that had gathered outside, Muzai heard him mutter something about how everyone should be inside away from the cold, but she wasn't really listening.

Then Muzai saw someone running up to her.

"Aunt?" Muzai muttered in surprise.

Merodī noticed Shinrai approach and he raised his eyebrows in amusement.

Shinrai wore skin tight jeans which were ripped and shredded all the way up her legs, she had a tight black sleeveless shirt on and a large purple jumper over the top of it. Her hair was binned up in a tight bun and her shoe's heels were at least five inches long.

"I found the letter, Muzai. You can't keep anything from me." Shinrai said as she reached Muzai's side.

Muzai looked up at her the older woman and smiled, she really loved her carefree Aunt.

"I'm sorry..." Muzai muttered, "I'm glad you came though." She added.

Shinrai put a hand on Muzai's shoulder and squeezed it lightly, she then looked over to Merodī; who had watched the two with a small smile.

"Aiborī Shinrai, call me Shinrai. I'm Muzai's Aunt." Shinrai said as she held out a hand.

"Merodī Kikoeru, please, call me Kikoeru. I'm Aiborī-san's music teacher." Merodī replied as he took Shinrai's hand and shook it.

"I didn't think my Muzai needed teaching in that department." Shinrai said with a cocky smile as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Merodī smiled, "No, I agree. She is very good." He said with a laugh.

Muzai watched the two with a faint smile, she was glad that they got on together. It would have been very different if her parents had turned up.

The rest of the evening was spent inside in the warm. Muzai still hadn't found Tsumi, she began to wonder if the silver-haired girl was with her parents or had gone home early. It began to bug Muzai, she hated having to constantly think of Tsumi. Ever since she had arrived to this High School she had always been thinking about her.

Muzai had been playing the piano in the music room while families gathered around and listened to the music. Eventually Shinrai came over to her niece's side.

"Muzai, Kikoeru and I are just going out to get a bite. Do you want to come or are you okay?" She asked gently.

Muzai looked up at her Aunt and smiled, "I'll be fine. You two can go together." She replied with a happy tone.

Shinrai smiled back and checked Muzai's wristwatch, "I'll come back in time to pick you up. I won't be too long." She said and gave Muzai a quick kiss on the forehead before walking off.

"Have fun." Muzai called out before returning to the piano.

Shinrai waved over her shoulder and walked over to Merodī, "I'm just going to 'powder my nose', I'll be back in two ticks." She said quietly with a sly smile.

"Don't be too long," Merodī replied with excitement in his voice, "Is Muzai alright about this?" He added.

Shinrai glanced over to the piano where Muzai was playing, she smiled at her niece and then turned back to Merodī, "She's fine. Anyway, it's just a drink between acquaintances. No big deal." She replied as she walked out if the room.

Once Shinrai stepped outside into the hallway she let out a long sigh before walking towards the Woman's room.

"Are you Aiborī-san's mother?" A voice asked.

Shinrai raised an eyebrow and turned around to face a student. He looked around the same age as Muzai, his hair was pitch black and his eyes were dark.

He had bandages on his arms, neck and hands.

"No, I'm her Aunt," Shinrai replied walking closer to him, "Are you a friend of Muzai's?" She asked.

"Yes. She and I shared our books in history." He replied with a cracked voice.

"I'm glad she's making friends," Shinrai said with a quiet voice, she then held out a hand towards the young boy, "Aiborī Shinrai. Call me Shinrai." She said with a warm smile.

"Nice to meet you, Shinrai," The boy replied as he shook her hand with his bandaged one, "I'm Uso Kuro." He added with a devious smile.

Muzai continued to play the piano until it was time for everyone to leave. She stood up, stretched, grabbed her bag and then left the room.

She hoped that Tsumi would be waiting for her outside this time, but to Muzai's disappointment, the silver-haired girl was nowhere in sight.

Muzai sighed and walked over to the school gates, her Aunt had said that she would return to take her home. But she was nowhere to be seen either.

And it wasn't like Shinrai to lie to Muzai.

After waiting for another ten minutes in the cold, Muzai decided to walk home alone.

"Aiborī-san!" A voice called out and stopped her from leaving the school grounds.

Muzai looked over her shoulder to see Merodī run up to her.

"Merodī-sensei?" Muzai muttered frowning, "Didn't you and my Aunt go out?" She asked once he had reached her side.

"No, she went to the ladies and never came back. I thought that maybe she had taken you home earlier." Merodī replied. His voice sounded upset.

Muzai widened her eyes in surprise and glanced around briefly, "How long has she been gone for?" She asked quickly.

"Ever since you started playing in the music room, an hour at the most." Merodī replied, his yellow eyes had turned dim and looked distant.

Muzai felt sorry for him. She shuddered from the cold and then checked her wristwatch.

"She wouldn't leave unless she had a really good reason. My Aunt's not like that," Muzai said with a small smile, "I'm sorry, but I should head home. Goodnight Sensei." She added with a bow.

"Goodnight, Aiborī-san." Merodī replied quietly.

Muzai walked off down the street, she began jogging after a while to warm herself up. She was glad that her Aunt's apartment wasn't too far from school.

She crossed the small bridge that led to her Aunt's apartment and stopped briefly, the bridge had a large river running under it and every time Muzai would cross it, she'd always guess how deep the water actually was.

Tonight it looked very deep.

After a small shiver crept down her spine, she continued to jog towards the building. She quickly ran up the metal staircases that was attached to the outside of the large building.

Living in a block-of-flats made Muzai uneasy; if it had snowed the previous day she wouldn't leave the building because the stairs would be too icy and she was convinced that she'd fall all the way to the ground.

But a lot more was on her mind rather than slipping up on the staircase.

Muzai finally reached the fifth floor and griped onto the railing across the landing as she walked. She glanced over the edge and looked down at the river again, it definitely looked deeper tonight.

When she came to her apartment's door, she stopped and frowned. The door was already open slightly. And there were wet footprints leading inside.

Muzai gulped and pushed the door open fully, it creaked as it moved, making Muzai jump slightly.

There were no lights on inside and Muzai couldn't see anything.

"Aunt?" She weakly called out.

There was no reply.

After standing outside in the cold for a few more minutes, Muzai walked into the apartment and turned on the lights.

She screamed in fright at the sight waiting for her.

Kuro Uso stood in the middle of the room with a devious smile on his face. Shinrai was on the floor in front of him.

She had tape over her mouth and wasn't moving, her wide eyes were fixed on Muzai.

"Your Aunt is so nice, I didn't even have to ask for her given name," Kuro said with a cocky tone, "She just gave it to me without a second's thought." He added.

Muzai frowned and looked at the bandages covering his body. Kuro noticed her eyes fixed on his wounds.

"Oh yeah. Your Tsumi is quite the fighter. Unstable would be the best way to describe it." He said and rubbed his neck slightly.

Muzai looked up into his face, "Tsumi? Did she attack you?" She asked.

"Attack? More like attempted murder," Kuro replied with spite, "I told you she was dangerous." He added.

Muzai shook her head and stepped further into the room. Her emerald eyes glanced from Kuro to Shinrai.

"What do you want?" Muzai eventually asked, trying to sound brave.

Kuro raised an eyebrow in amusement, "I'll be honest with you. I'm not here for you, or your Aunt. Just call Tsumi and we'll take it from there." He replied crossing his arms.

"Call? I don't know her number-" Muzai began to speak but her words were cut off when Kuro raised his hand.

His glare was very dark and he was growing impatient.

"Okay, let's make this quick." He muttered as he picked up a book from the bookshelf and threw it at Muzai.

The redhead had no time to avoid it and she closed her eyes tightly and braced herself. But no pain came.

She opened her eyes and saw the book had stopped only inches from her face, and it had only stopped because someone had caught it. That someone being Tsumi.

"Well done," Kuro said sarcastically and clapped his bandaged hands together, " Sensei never lied about what you were capable of." He added.

Tsumi dropped the book to the floor and walked over to Shinrai. She snapped her fingers in front of the older woman's face and removed the tape from her mouth.

Shinrai was able to move once again and she immediately scrambled over to Muzai's side.

"Now, now, Kuro. You know what happened to the last people who displayed me." Tsumi said as she glared down at the younger boy.

Kuro's eyes darkened and he glared back at Tsumi, "Sensei made me come back. It's not my fault." He muttered in response.

"And you think that excuse will spare you? I won't go easy on you in this battle." Tsumi coldly responded, raising a silver eyebrow.

"No, this isn't a battle of spells." Kuro replied as he reached for something in his pocket.

Muzai looked at the two with wide eyes. Shinrai began to slowly lead her back out of the door.

"Sensei wanted something more physical." Kuro said as he drew a gun from his coat in a swift movement. He didn't hesitate to fire it at Tsumi.

Muzai screamed as she saw several bullets penetrate Tsumi's chest and throat. And one bullet knocked her hat off of her head.

Shinrai began to drag Muzai out of the apartment quickly.

"Not so fast!" Kuro yelled and pointed the gun to Muzai and Shinrai, "Don't even think about it." He said coldly.

Shinrai stopped and clutched Muzai's hand tightly.

"Sensei wanted to get rid of Aiborī-san, to be honest I think he's jealous." Kuro said, he sounded as if he was simply gossiping and not pointing a gun at two people.

Muzai glanced over at Tsumi. The silver-haired girl was glaring at Kuro. Despite the fact that she had just been shot several times, she looked as though she was perfectly fine; just incredibly pissed off.

Kuro looked over to Tsumi and frowned, he was just as surprise as Muzai was.

"Didn't I just shot you? Shouldn't you be bleeding to death or something?" Kuro said with a scared voice.

"I don't go down easily." Tsumi responded simply.

She began walking towards Kuro, but the younger boy quickly jumped back and pulled out another device from his pocket.

Tsumi gasped in surprise, "Muzai, run!" She yelled.

Muzai's eyes widened, she couldn't see what it was that Kuro had retrieved from his pockets, but it wasn't something that she was going to stick around for.

Shinrai quickly darted out of the apartment, clutching Muzai's hand tightly.

There was a sudden moment of silence, and then a large explosion emerged from inside their apartment.

The sudden blow was powerful and it sent Muzai and her Aunt flying over the edge of the railing.

All Muzai could remember after that was falling, and how the river had looked deeper that night.

It felt deep when she landed in it too.


	6. Command

Author's Notes

Hooray, this story got it's first review yesterday. Thank you RoboticScene, I'm glad you're enjoying it.

Now, I thought that it's about time that Tsumi got a chapter to herself. So, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Loveless.

* * *

Tsumi had received more damage than she thought she would gain. She hadn't been to school that day because she had been taking Ninjutsu lessons, which she had forgotten to explain to Muzai.

Kuro had been in the middle of the explosion, so Tsumi didn't need to worry about him coming after Muzai again.

If Muzai was still worth coming after.

Tsumi was sure that the paramedics had said that both Muzai and Shinrai would survive. They were lucky to have fallen into the river, the slightest change in angle and they probably wouldn't have made it through the night.

But now that Tsumi knew that Muzai was in safe hands, she needed to get herself some help.

Her hat had been shot off by Kuro's gun, and her coat had been burnt and torn during the explosion. So Tsumi had no choice but to travel through the streets completely vulnerable and exposed.

A low grumble in the sky made Tsumi groan in annoyance, rain was the last thing she needed. But when the liquid drops began to hit her aching flesh, she welcomed it and continued to limp through the empty streets.

Finally she reached the neighborhood she lived in. There were many rows of houses and each house had a large front yard.

By the time Tsumi had reached her house, she had collapsed and had to crawl the rest of the way.

Unfortunately, the front door had a small concrete staircase leading up to it. And Tsumi didn't have the energy to climb it, so instead she slumped against the side of the staircase and laid herself down on the wet grass.

She breathed heavily and tried to think of something besides the pain shooting through her body. When she was going through her training to become a Sentouki, Sensei had always told her that pain was something that should never be felt. And normally, she didn't feel anything at all.

But she had never been taught how to block out the sensation of being hit by a bullet, or being in an explosion. And Sensei knew that, that's why he had told Kuro to do it.

Tsumi sat up slowly and leant against the side of the staircase, she hissed in pain as she pulled out her phone from her trousers' pocket.

She shakily pressed a number on the speed dial and then put the phone to her ear.

It only rang once before someone picked it up.

"Tsumi? Where the hell have you been? I couldn't reach your mobile so I've been sitting on my ass all day waiting for you!" A voice yelled down the phone.

"Ah... Sorry, my bad... But, come over to the entrance won't you?" Tsumi replied in a tired voice.

"Why do I have to go out in this crappy weather? What's wrong with you?" The voice complained.

"I can't walk.."

"Huh? Then how did you get as far as the entrance?"

"Ah... I.. Can't be bothered to explain.." Tsumi said before hanging up the phone.

She took another breath in and fell back down to the floor, the wet grass felt cold and heavenly against her painful skin.

Tsumi took another breath in and coughed up blood. She spat the red liquid onto the soaked ground and laid her head against the grass once more.

She heard the front door open above her, but couldn't find the strength to lift her head.

Someone stepped out into the rain and looked over the railing down at Tsumi.

"Are you drunk?" They asked and leant against the railing.

Tsumi didn't reply, she just rolled herself over to stare up at the girl looking down on her.

The girl frowned and her eyes squinted behind the glasses she wore. She ran down the staircase, barefoot, and leant over Tsumi's body, "Have you got broken bones or something?" She asked, before placing a lollipop into her mouth.

"No.." Tsumi muttered in response and eyeballed the other girl.

"Then get the hell up! Show me that determination of yours!"

"Rīdā... I just... Need to get inside.." Tsumi groaned.

The other girl, Rīdā, rolled her eyes and put her arms under Tsumi's body before lifting her up. She moved the silver-haired girl onto her back and carried her up the stairs.

"Honestly, how many times have I carried you like this?" Rīdā muttered through the lollipop in her mouth.

Tsumi groaned in response and went limp onto the older girl's back. Rīdā carefully brought her inside and walked through a short hallway into a living room.

The room had a high ceiling, its walls were white and had large aquariums built into them. Rīdā carried Tsumi over to the sofa that sat in front of a large TV monitor.

She laid the silver-haired girl down and looked over her properly.

"I thought you said you weren't going to pull this kind of stuff anymore." Rīdā said in annoyance as she took off her glasses and wiped away the raindrops that had formed on the lenses.

Tsumi didn't bother to reply, she just took deep breaths in and attempted to sit up.

Rīdā sighed and placed her glasses back over her eyes, she sat beside Tsumi and checked her wounds, "You need treatment. I'll phone the hospital." She stated and reached for the mobile that sat on the coffee table in front of her.

Tsumi quickly grabbed the other girl's wrist and pulled her away from the mobile.

"I can't go to a Hospital. I can heal here. Don't worry." Tsumi said weakly and laid back down onto the sofa.

"Tsumi you have been shot! You have bullets making their way to your heart. You need treatment." Rīdā yelled in arrogance.

"You know first aid. That's treatment." Tsumi replied bluntly.

Rīdā smirked and raised an eyebrow, "As much as I'd love to strip you and nurse you back to health, I really don't think that my basic bandaging skills will be enough for you to get better." She said and pulled the lollipop out of her mouth.

Tsumi didn't reply, she just lazily raised her arm over her head and then relaxed. She closed her multicoloured eyes and sighed deeply.

The last thing she heard before falling unconscious was Rīdā muttering to herself in an irritated tone.

Tsumi awoke the next morning to the sound of a violin being played. She opened her unique eyes and listened intently. She knew that Rīdā would be playing something that represented her mode, and Tsumi didn't want to approach her while she was pissed off.

Eventually she recognised the song that her housemate was composing, it was Zigeunerweisen. And Rīdā only ever played it when she was annoyed.

Tsumi slowly sat up from her bed and winced, she looked down at her chest to see that she had been bandaged across her torso. Tsumi sighed and climbed out of her bed, Rīdā had patched her up well. She never did let the silver-haired girl down about anything.

The music that flowed up the stairway into Tsumi's room began to grow intensely. And Tsumi was slightly nervous at the thought of going downstairs to face Rīdā.

She dressed herself in a black button-up shirt and a pair of jeans. She looked for a hat to wear but failed, she had no choice but to ask Rīdā if there were any being washed, but she was a little too scared to do so.

Eventually Tsumi left her room, the staircase was only a few feet across from her room, and the music was even more intense on the landing. Gathering the courage, Tsumi slowly made her way down the stairs.

She peered around the corner and saw Rīdā playing her violin in fast movements. Luckily she had her back to Tsumi and hadn't heard her come downstairs.

Tsumi gulped and looked over towards the hallway that led to the front door. If she was careful and played her cards right, she would be able to sneak out without being noticed by the peeved violinist.

But as soon as Tsumi had ran across towards the front door and reached for the handle, the music had stopped playing and Tsumi could tell that Rīdā was glaring at her back.

"Where do you think you're going?" Rīdā asked as she pointed the violin's bow towards Tsumi.

The silver-haired girl stood up straight and faced her housemate.

Rīdā was dressed in a short black miniskirt and had a large, white, strapless shirt on. She had no ears and she always kept her black hair short and scruffy, to avoid it getting in the way when she played the violin. Her lean legs were covered in long black socks and her blue eyes were hidden behind her large glasses. Tsumi hated it when Rīdā's glasses would shine, it made her look like a creepy scientist.

Tsumi didn't reply, she just attempted to avoid Rīdā's evil gaze.

"You better not be hiding anything from me, Tsumi. I won't be happy if you are." The dark-haired girl said as she put her instrument away.

Tsumi followed Rīdā and leant over the counter that separated the kitchen from the living room. Her multicoloured eyes watched the other girl as she moved thorough the kitchen and grabbed a lollipop from a large packet of assorted sweets.

"What makes you think I'm keeping something from you?" Tsumi asked as Rīdā walked towards her and leant against the opposite side of the counter.

Rīdā placed the candy in her mouth and rolled her eyes, "Does the word 'Muzai' mean anything?" She asked placing her head on her hand.

Tsumi raised a silver eyebrow, "Where did you hear that name from?" She asked in a confused tone.

"You talk in your sleep." Rīdā replied with a small smirk, "Who is she?" She asked.

Tsumi rolled her eyes and moved away from the counter, she walked over to the aquarium built into the wall and picked up a bag of fish food.

"She's no one." Tsumi replied quietly and began to drop the food into the water. She watched intently as the multicoloured fish swam up to the food and devoured it.

Rīdā was silent for a moment, she opened her mouth to say something further, but someone walked out from another room and she shut her mouth.

Tsumi looked over to see two people sleepily walk into the room. One of them had bright green hair and ears, and the other had dark orange hair and ears. Their eyes were violet and they were holding hands as they made their way over to the large sofa.

"Good morning you two. I hope I didn't disturb you with my music." Rīdā said with a sarcastic tone as she took her lollipop out of her mouth to speak.

The two ignored the older girl and sat down on the large sofa in front of the TV screen. They turned on the power and began to sleepily play video games on it.

One of them looked up briefly at Tsumi and then returned their violet gaze onto the large flat TV monitor, "Tsumi isn't hiding her ears or tail." They muttered bluntly.

"Migi, don't be rude!" Rīdā yelled in annoyance.

"I'm not Migi, I'm Hidari," The green-haired youth replied, "That's Migi." They added pointing a finger to their companion.

"I can't tell. I lost track of you two a long time ago." Rīdā muttered and went back to eating her sugary candy.

"But you're our cousin." Migi moaned in a sleepy voice.

Rīdā clenched her teeth in annoyance, "Yeah, but you two dye your hair a different colour every week. And with you two being _twins_, it gets very hard to tell you apart sometimes!" She replied angrily.

Tsumi smiled at her housemates with amusement and continued to feed her fish.

After an hour had passed, Tsumi walked over to the wash bin and pulled out a woolly hat. She put it over her head and made her way to the large coat that hung beside the front door.

Rīdā looked up from the book she had been reading, she had sat herself down in the large armchair by Migi and Hidari, "You can't leave me here to babysit! Hidari and Migi have changed so much that I don't remember which one is which, or even what gender they are! And don't get me started on Shizuka..." Rīdā whined as Tsumi put on the large coat.

The silver-haired girl looked over to her housemate, "Shizuka isn't even up yet. You don't need to bring him into this conversation." Tsumi replied and buttoned the large coat up.

Rīdā was about to reply with a comeback, but Tsumi quickly walked out of the house and shut the door behind her loudly. She stepped down the concrete staircase and walked down the road as if she was just starting the beginning of a completely normal day.

Now, she needed to visit Muzai.


	7. Charm

Author's Notes

The previous chapter was basically just showing people that Tsumi isn't invincible and cold-hearted. She can't handle the world on her own, so she lives with four other people, but we'll go back to Tsumi's personal life later. Right now we're going back to the lovely MUZAI!

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Loveless.

* * *

Muzai had stayed in Hospital overnight. The paramedics had found her and Shinrai in the river outside of their apartment. They were quickly rushed to Hospital and were put under care straight away.

Muzai had only gained minor cuts and bruises, nothing too serious. But Shinrai had suffered more damage; a broken wrist and leg. The police had questioned Muzai and her Aunt about the explosion, but the blow had caused Shinrai amnesia and she couldn't recall the events. Muzai however, remembered everything, but she didn't tell the police anything about Tsumi. She was afraid what would happen to the silver-haired girl if she did.

After the police had gathered all of the information about the accident and left, Muzai rested her eyes for a while. She dreamt of her brother, Hakai.

She was standing in a dark void, there was nothing around her but darkness. Darkness, and Hakai.

Muzai stared at her brother, he was a lot taller than she was. His hair was a deep chestnut colour and his eyes were amber, like their mother's was.

"Hakai?" Muzai muttered and took a step closer towards him.

Hakai didn't reply, he just looked away from his sister's eyes and glanced down at the black floor.

Muzai continued to walk closer to Hakai. She recognised this place, she had been in the same kind of void on her first day at High School. But somehow this time it felt colder and eerie.

But maybe it was just because she was facing Hakai again.

"Hakai." Muzai called out louder and picked up her pace.

But no matter how fast she ran, he never got closer and she never reached his side. It was like running after a rainbow; you could see it clearly, but no matter how hard you tried, it was unreachable.

"Hakai!" Muzai screamed and reached out for her brother.

Hakai looked up slowly and held out his own hand towards his sister. He whispered something to her, but it was impossible for Muzai to understand.

She woke up then, in her Hospital bed, breathing heavily.

Her emerald eyes looked over to her left and she gasped when she saw Tsumi sitting beside the bed in a large armchair.

The silver-haired girl had her arm leant against the chair's armrest as her multicoloured eyes were looking down on Muzai, the redhead just stared back speechless.

"You were dreaming of your brother?" Tsumi spoke as she put a strand of red hair behind Muzai's ear and out of her face.

"How did you know?" Muzai whispered as her cheeks flushed into a light pink colour.

"You said his name before you awoke." The older girl said as she leant back in the large chair she sat in.

Muzai was silent for a moment and looked around the bright room. There weren't many people around, just staff and a few patients resting soundly.

"Did Uso-kun escape?" Muzai asked quietly.

Tsumi raised an eyebrow in surprise, "Impossible, the bomb was attached to his body. He wouldn't have survived." She replied in an emotionless tone.

"But you survived. You were shot, I saw it happen." Muzai said as she sat up in her bed.

Tsumi looked away from Muzai's eyes and stared at the patients resting in their own beds, "I can take simple blows like that." She stated simply.

"But Kuro was like you too! He was different and used magic, like you!" Muzai said, raising her voice slightly.

Tsumi snapped her eyes back to Muzai's and the redhead shut her mouth in an instant. They stared at each other for a few moments in silence before Tsumi spoke again.

"Kuro and I were not alike. He was reckless and weak, just like Rai and Tio were." The silver-haired girl said in a low whisper.

Muzai didn't want to be afraid of Tsumi, but her oddly coloured gaze was impossible not to be scared of. Tsumi's face suddenly relaxed again and she took a deep breath in.

"I apologise Muzai. I'm just irritated at the moment, please, forget I said anything." Tsumi said and stood up from her chair.

Muzai had so many questions to ask the silver-haired girl, but she didn't want anger her. However, she did ask one thing.

"What is irritating you? I want to know." Muzai said in a quiet voice.

Tsumi looked down at the redhead with an expressionless gaze, "Why do you want to know?" She asked bluntly.

"Because I want to know more about you." Muzai whispered simply.

Tsumi smiled briefly and walked towards the room's exit, she stopped at the door and replied over her shoulder, "I'm irritated because I failed to protect you from _them._"

Muzai continued to stare at the exit that Tsumi had left through for a few more moments. She replayed the silver-haired girl's words through her mind until her head hurt.

Later that day, Merodī visited Muzai. The police had told the school what had happened and Merodī immediately went to the trouble to buy Muzai a 'get well' card and some candy.

"Thank you, Sensei. But you didn't have to do this." Muzai said with a large smile as she took the small bag of candy from the older man.

"Well it wasn't just me. This is a gift from all of your teachers, I just happened to be the one to give it to you." Merodī replied and sat down in the armchair that Tsumi had been on earlier that day.

Muzai looked over at her teacher, he was dressed in a black coat and had a scarf wrapped around his neck. He looked tired and his pink hair was more messier than usual.

"Are you alright, Merodī-sensei?" Muzai asked in a shy voice as she ate a piece of candy.

Merodī nodded as he yawned loudly and ran a hand through his hair, "Just tired, it's not easy being a teacher. By the way, where is your Aunt staying?" He asked with a small smile.

Muzai couldn't help but smile back, she knew that he was going to ask about her sooner or later.

"I think she's having an X-ray right now. But she's staying up on the sixth floor." Muzai replied.

Merodī nodded and leant back in the armchair, "I'll keep you company for a while longer then." He said in a tired voice and got comfortable in his chair.

Muzai smiled at the pink-haired man and she shared her bag of candy with him. They talked for a while and eventually Shinrai came into the room.

She was in a wheelchair and had her left wrist and right leg wrapped up tightly in casts.

"Hey there, Sleepyhead." Shinrai called out and awkwardly moved her wheelchair over to Muzai's bed.

Merodī quickly stood up and walked over to Shinrai's wheelchair, no words were said as he pushed her over to sit by Muzai.

"Thank you, Kikoeru," Shinrai said with a small smile, "What are you doing in this dump?" She asked.

Merodī stood beside the wheelchair and looked down at the redheaded woman, "I came to give Muzai a get well gift." He replied with a warm voice.

"And here I thought all teachers were stuck up snobs." Shinrai said with a small laugh, she then turned back to her niece, "Kikoeru's gift must have been really powerful because the doctors say you're free to leave." She said with a wide smile.

"Really? No more questions?" Muzai asked with large eyes.

"No more questions. We can leave now." Shinrai said and briefly looked up at Merodī.

The pink-haired man looked at the two girls with a faint smile, "I suppose my job here is done here, I'll be leaving now." He said and turned to leave.

"Actually," Shinrai called out, "I never did have that 'bite' with you, did I? How about we go down to the Hospital's cafe while Muzai gets her things together?" She said with a wink.

Merodī blushed slightly and nodded quickly, "Sounds like a plan." He said happily.

Shinrai waved to Muzai as Merodī pushed her away in her wheelchair, Muzai waved back at her Aunt before climbing out of her bed.

The nurses checked her over quickly before giving her the clothes she was found in. Muzai quickly rushed to the bathroom to change, she didn't feel comfortable in the Hospital gown she wore. Her clothes had been washed and dried, and they felt warm and comfortable when she put them on.

Finally Muzai was finished and ready to leave, all her bruises and scratches were hidden under her clothes, so she didn't need to worry about people staring at her. She slowly made her way through the hallways and came to the choice of using the elevator or the stairs.

Muzai looked at the large elevator doors and shook her head, she didn't want to be crammed in a small moving box with a load of strangers. So without further hesitation, the redhead went for the stairway.

There was no one else on the stairs and that confused Muzai, it was a large Hospital and she expected to see at least someone walking around. But she didn't let it bother her too much and continued to walk down the flights of stairs.

Her mind started to think about Tsumi, the silver-haired girl had been shot several times in front of Muzai and then seconds after that she had been in an explosion, and somehow she managed to walk around as if nothing had happened.

Muzai wanted to know more about Tsumi, but she had started to wonder whether the silver-haired girl was just as dangerous as Kuro had said. If Tsumi could truly use magic with a few simple words then who knows what she was capable of doing.

Or what she had already done.

While daydreaming about the older girl, Muzai had walked into someone. She tripped and fell on top of the stranger and together they fell down the last five stairs.

They landed tangled up together at the bottom of the staircase. Muzai groaned and quickly tried to get off of the other person.

"I'm so sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going..." Muzai said and scrambled across the floor.

"That's fine, don't worry." The stranger replied.

Muzai stood up and peered at the person she had landed on. It was a guy.

His hair was a deep crimson colour and his eyes were a deep shade of gold. He wore a black hoodie and ripped jeans, he was fairly tall but Muzai guessed he was only a year older than she was. He still had his ears and tail.

"I'm sorry, I hope I didn't cause you any... D-damage." Muzai stuttered nervously.

The older boy stood up and brushed himself down, "A little thing like you? You wouldn't leave an indent on me, don't worry." He replied with a cocky smile.

Muzai smiled back shyly, bowed, apologised once more and then ran off down the last few flights of steps.

The boy watched her go and then he pulled out his phone from his pocket. He dialed a number and sat down on the stairs while he waited for someone to pick up.

"Yes?" A cold voice spoke from down the phone.

"It's Miryoku. I've found the girl." The boy, Miryoku, replied and leant back on the staircase.

"Good, you know what needs to be done." The cold voice said cruelly.

"Of course. Don't worry, Sensei. I'll bring Kokutan back and then I'll kill the girl." Miryoku said with a dark smile.


	8. Cry

Author's Notes

This story has just officially started!

Muzai and Tsumi are in for a lot of epicness in the future. Prepare for laughter, tears, good times and bad. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Loveless.

* * *

Muzai and Shinrai's apartment had been too damaged to move back into straight away. But luckily for them, Merodī had talked with the the Headmaster to let them stay in one of the High School dorms until their apartment was re-built. Muzai and Shinrai were grateful for Merodī's kindness, and they accepted the offer gratefully.

Most of their things had been destroyed in the accident, and Muzai had only managed to re-gain a few clothes and a picture of Hakai. She was satisfied with having just that, it was all she really needed.

Muzai sat at the small table with her Aunt and they ate their meal in silence. Shinrai didn't seem to be bothered about the fact that her apartment had been blown up and that she had to stay in a wheelchair for a while, she saw it as something that had happened in the past and left it at that. Muzai idolised her Aunt greatly.

"Do you have any plans for tomorrow?" Shinrai asked once Muzai had finished her meal.

The younger girl looked up at her Aunt's green eyes with her own, "Nothing really. I normally would study on weekends, but I haven't got any textbooks to work on." She replied quietly.

"If studying is what you want there are a lot of books in this dorm to keep you occupied." Shinrai stated as she eyeballed the large bookcase behind Muzai, "I just thought that maybe you'd want to spend the day with some of your friends." She added and took another mouthful from her plate.

Muzai sighed deeply, she then picked up her plate and stood up from the table, "I haven't got many friends." She said in a quiet voice.

Shinrai watched her niece walk by and disappear into the small kitchen, she continued to eat her own food in silence until Muzai came back to the table.

"So, it's just you and Tsumi?" Shinrai asked raising an eyebrow.

Muzai nodded slowly in response and sat back down. She sipped on the drink she had just retrieved from the kitchen and tried to avoid her Aunt's eyes.

"Don't worry, I was just the same when I was your age." Shinrai said with a small smile and finished her last mouthful.

"Really?" Muzai asked as she put the drink down and leant closer in her chair.

Shinrai nodded.

"Yeah, I only had one friend when I was in High School too. We did everything together, and it was better than having loads of people hang around all at once. We told each other secrets and treated each other like real family. Your father hated it when we'd shut ourselves in my room and never let him inside." Shinrai said with a wide smile.

Muzai smiled back, she loved hearing about her Aunt's history and how her father used to be just an annoying older brother.

"What was your friend's name?" Muzai asked with curiousity.

"Kako." Shinrai replied in a distant voice and her eyes became dark and sad.

Muzai noticed her Aunt's change in expression and her heart skipped a beat.

"What happened?" Muzai asked quietly.

Shinrai sighed and closed her eyes for a moment, when she opened them again they had returned to their normal bright glow.

"We grew apart. And then your father married Bi and then you came along. I had no time to play around with old friends after that, I needed to look after my Muzai." She replied with a small crack of sadness in her voice, but she hid it well.

"You do a great job. You're the best Aunt ever." Muzai said as she stood up from her seat and walked over to Shinrai to hug her tightly.

Shinrai didn't hesitate to hug her niece back, "I'm only the best Aunt because you're the best niece. You make my job pretty easy." She replied with a small smile.

Muzai smiled with happiness, she didn't need her parents or a big house, Shinrai gave her everything she deserved. Sometimes maybe she didn't deserve _all_ of it. But Shinrai would surely give up an arm or a leg to keep Muzai happy.

"Oh, I was going to wait until Christmas to give you this. But I figured that now you're in High School, you may need it earlier." Shinrai said as she pulled out of Muzai's embrace and awkwardly pushed her wheelchair towards a small cupboard.

She opened the top drawer and pulled out a small box wrapped up in bright pink paper and handed it to Muzai. The young redhead took the box from her Aunt gently and began to tear away the paper.

"It didn't gain a scratch from the explosion, so I guess it was a lot better quality than I bargained for." Shinrai said and watched Muzai's face expression change from clueless to surprised.

"A phone?" Muzai said in surprise.

"Mobile phone, to be exact. In case you're going to be home late, or if you ever need me to pick you up. And to keep other people's numbers in, like Tsumi's for example." Shinrai replied with a small smirk.

Muzai blushed slightly at the sound of Tsumi's name. She looked up from her new phone and hugged her Aunt once more.

They spent the rest of the evening getting used to their new home and packing away what little things they had gained from their ruined apartment. Finally Muzai decided to sleep and climbed into the slightly uncomfortable bed she'd be using for a while. She stared up at the ceiling for a long time, thinking about how only six days had passed since she had meet Tsumi Kokutan. And about how much had changed in that small amount of time.

Eventually she closed her emerald eyes and slept. She dreamed of Hakai, Tsumi and her family. All together peacefully.

* * *

Tsumi sat in her hot bubble bath in peace . She quietly read a letter she had received that evening with her dry hand and held it high above her head. It had been sent from her old school, Seven Voices Academy, it was informing all of the former students to return for a simple reunion. But Tsumi wasn't a fool.

She scrunched the piece of paper in her hand tightly and then put it into the water that surrounded her. She knew that the Academy was trying to bring her back, but they had made a mistake in the letter by saying 'former students'. Tsumi had never finished her training, so she was still a 'current student'. And judging by the handwriting and the way the writer had spoken, it wasn't Sensei who had sent it.

Tsumi leant back into the hot water further, allowing the warm liquid to wash over her face and hair. She began to relax and slowly drift off to sleep, but then the door opened and Rīdā walked in.

"Have you seen the first aid kit? Migi... Or Hidari, no I'm pretty sure it was Migi... Well one of them just provoked the neighbour's dog and got bitten." The older girl blurted through the lollipop in her mouth as she went for the white cabinet built into the wall.

Tsumi sighed and sat up in the bath, "You were using it last night, on me. You should know where you put things after you've finished with them." She replied coldly and grabbed the shampoo that sat on the floor beside the bath.

Rīdā was about to comeback with something, but someone shouted up the stairs and stopped her from speaking.

"We've found it! It was in the cereal cupboard!" It was a deep voice.

"What the hell was it doing in there?! Oh forget it. Stop standing at the bottom of the stairway, Shizuka! Migi...or Hidari, are bleeding to death!" Rīdā yelled back through the bathroom's doorway.

Shizuka muttered something about how the bite looked more like a tiny cut and walked back into the living room.

Rīdā groaned loudly and shut the bathroom door fiercely before she walked over to Tsumi and sat on the edge of the bath.

"You know that one of the basic rules of first aid is to keep fresh wounds dry?" The dark-haired girl said sarcastically as she took the lollipop from her mouth and yawned.

Tsumi ignored her and began to smother her hair with shampoo. Rīdā watched the younger girl in silence before she put her sugary candy back into her mouth and placed her hands on top of Tsumi's head.

Tsumi allowed the other girl to massage her head and she sighed deeply. She moved her own hands away from her head and reached for the letter which had been floating on top of the warm water.

"Reading in the bath? You have some strange hobbies." Rīdā said, her words were muffled from the lollipop in her mouth.

"It's not a hobby. It's a letter." Tsumi replied and effortlessly threw it across the room into the small bin that sat in the corner.

Rīdā continued to soap up Tsumi's silver strands, she was especially gentle whenever she would touch her ears. Scarred, ripped, broken and stitched. Tsumi probably couldn't feel a lot if someone were to touch them, but Rīdā didn't ask about her ears or tail. She was confident that one day Tsumi would tell her when she was ready.

"A letter? It's not a _love _letter is it? How many rivals are you keeping from me?" Rīdā asked with a sarcastic tone.

Tsumi smiled slightly and lifted her knees up to her chest, "It was a letter from the Academy." She stated in a monotoned whisper.

Rīdā stopped running her hands through Tsumi's hair and stood up. She quickly pulled the lollipop from her mouth, despite the fact that her hands were now covered in bubbles and shampoo, and stared intently at the other girl.

"You're not going back are you?" She asked in a serious tone.

Tsumi didn't answer, she just raised her hands and continued to do her hair in silence.

"Tsumi! That Academy is the reason I found you that day! You were practically dead. I don't know what it is they taught you there, and frankly, I don't think I want to know! But you can't go back there, promise me you won't!" Rīdā yelled through sadness and anger.

Tsumi looked up at the older girl briefly with an expressionless gaze, "I don't keep my promises." She said bluntly and then she disappeared under the water.

Rīdā stood for a few moments in silence. She watched the water's bubbly surface and took deep breaths in to try and calm down. She decided to leave the room before Tsumi came back up for air and walked away quietly.

Later that evening, Tsumi came downstairs wearing a tight black jumper and a pair of black shorts. Her legs were covered in fishnet tights and she had knee high, stiletto heeled, boots on.

When she walked by the living room, Migi and Hidari looked up from the video game they were playing on the large TV monitor across from them.

"Where are you going, Tsumi?" One of them called to the silver-haired girl.

"Out. Don't expect me back for a while." Tsumi replied coldly as she grabbed her coat from it's hook by the front door.

Migi and Hidari shared a look before their eyes glanced over to stare at Rīdā, who was standing at the kitchen's counter. The older girl's eyes were hidden behind the glasses she wore, it was hard to tell where she looking but her head was facing the ground. So it was obvious that she was avoiding Tsumi.

The twins looked from their cousin over to Shizuka, who was sitting in his own usual spot in the corner of the room. His brown eyes were also fixed on Rīdā, it seemed that the whole household had been waiting for the normal routine.

Tsumi would go out, Rīdā would try and stop her with a terrible excuse and then Tsumi would totally ignore her and leave anyway.

But there was a very disturbing vibe in the house tonight.

Tsumi looked up after she had done up all the buttons on her coat to see Migi, Hidari and Shizuka looking her way. She raised an eyebrow at the three of them and turned to leave.

"Tsumi." Rīdā called out, making the silver-haired girl stop in her tracks.

Tsumi sighed and turned around again, she walked over to the counter in the living room and faced Rīdā who stood on the opposite side.

They shared a moment of silence.

"You'll get cold without your hat." Rīdā said with a small sigh and leant closer over the counter with Tsumi's hat in her hands.

Tsumi leant forward and allowed the other girl to hide away her ears under the soft fabric. As she leant closer, her hand reached out and grabbed a lollipop from a packet of assorted candy she had bought during the week.

"And you'll be cranky without your sugar." Tsumi replied and placed the candy in the other girl's mouth.

Despite the fact that Tsumi always sounded blunt and cold, her actions were always full of emotions.

Rīdā smiled and began to chew the candy in her mouth as Tsumi walked away, "Don't be gone for long, I'm not feeding your fish for you." She yelled through the lollipop in her mouth.

Tsumi glared at the older girl over her shoulder and shut the door loudly as she left the house. She stepped into the cold evening air and ran down the concrete staircase. Her destination for the night was Muzai and Shinrai's old apartment.

She knew that no one would be there at this time of night, well, almost no one. When she reached the destroyed block-of-flats a sudden sting struck her thoughts. She didn't let it bother her, she knew what it was. It was another Sentouki.

Tsumi glared at him with her oddly coloured eyes. He had been sitting in the building's shadow, waiting for her to arrive.

"Kokutan Tsumi." He addressed her name loudly and flicked the cigarette he had been smoking into the river beside them.

"Fumetsu Miryoku." Tsumi chanted coldly.

"Sensei's getting impatient with you." Miryoku said bluntly and crossed his arms stubbornly.

"Clearly. He must be desperate to have sent you." Tsumi replied in her expressionless voice.

Miryoku went silent and lit up another cigarette, his persona was too calm for Tsumi's liking, and he knew it irritated her.

"His exact orders are for me to return you to his side and then kill that cute little girl of yours. Frankly, I just think he's selfish." Miryoku said with a casually cool tone and exhaled the poisonous gas into the cold air.

Tsumi's eye twitched slightly, "Why does Sensei want to hurt her? This has nothing to do with her." She said in a low whisper.

"Beats me. Sensei hates it when we ask questions, and I particularly can't be bothered to ask any." The crimson haired boy said with a small shrug. He quickly finished off his cigarette and walked closer to Tsumi.

The silver-haired girl glared at him as he moved closer towards her, he stopped only inches away from her face. But Tsumi knew that simple things like personal space meant nothing to him.

"I didn't come here for a fight. I came here to pay my respects to Kuro. Did you know that he purposefully left his sacrifice at the Academy because he was afraid of what you would do to her in battle?" Miryoku whispered in a gentle, dark, voice, "And now he's dead, and now Naku has no Sentouki, so she's left to mourn over Kuro; all because of you." He added as his face inched closer and closer to Tsumi's.

But Tsumi didn't let his charm win her over and she punched him hard in the stomach before he could get any closer. Miryoku went down with his hands over his now bruising torso, his gold eyes looked up at Tsumi with surprise.

"Sensei... Doesn't lie.. When it comes to you.. Kokutan.." He said between painful breaths.

Tsumi knelt down in front of Miryoku and grabbed his chin roughly, making him keep eye contact, "I won't return just because the likes of you told me I should, I wouldn't return even if Sensei showed up and told me to! So unless you want to end up like Kuro, I suggest you leave now." She hissed darkly.

Miryoku watched as Tsumi walked away and crossed the small bridge that sat over the large river beside him. She was definitely dangerous, but he wasn't going to back down that easily.

Because unlike Kuro, Sensei had told Miryoku what Tsumi's weakness was.


	9. Innocence

Author's Notes

*Epic music* And now, the chapter we've all been waiting for...

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Loveless.

* * *

Muzai awoke slowly. At first she thought that she was in her Aunt's apartment, sleeping in her familiar bed. But she was soon reminded of what had happened and sighed deeply.

It was Sunday morning, and tomorrow she would have to return to school once again. It bothered her that she didn't have any way of contacting Tsumi, but Muzai had a feeling that the silver-haired girl would surely turn up sooner or later.

After glancing over to look at the small clock on her bedside table, Muzai decided to get up and change. She walked into the tiny bathroom and began to sleepily undress, after that she stepped into the small shower and ran the hot water.

She yawned loudly and began to wash herself down, she could smell food cooking in the other room and that encouraged her to finish up quickly.

She stopped the water and then grabbed a towel, that hung closely to the shower's cubicle, and wrapped it around herself.

Upon stepping back into the small hallway, Muzai was greeted with the smell of bacon and eggs cooking. She smiled to herself and quickly ran into her bedroom to change.

As she pulled on a large sleeveless shirt that reached down to her knees, she suddenly remembered how her Aunt was in a wheelchair and that she probably wouldn't be able to cook sitting down. Muzai frowned as she walked out of her room and slowly stepped into the kitchen.

Her green eye's widened in surprise when she saw who had been cooking.

"Tsumi?" Muzai muttered, completely breathless.

Tsumi had her back to the redhead, she wasn't wearing her long coat and her scarred, silver, tail was slowly swaying side-to-side. She had a tight black tank top and star patterned jeans on. Her ears were covered with a loose black hat.

"Good morning, Muzai," Tsumi said as she glanced over her shoulder, "Shinrai let me inside. I hope you're hungry." She added.

Muzai blinked a few times in shock before walking over to Tsumi's side. Her mouth began to water as she saw the food Tsumi was frying.

"How long have you been here for?" The redhead asked, not moving her eyes away from the sizzling frying pan.

"An hour, maybe more." Tsumi replied bluntly as she grabbed a spoon from the pile of cutlery she had been using and scooped some food from the frying pan.

Muzai watched as Tsumi lightly blew on the hot food and then the silver-haired girl began to guide the spoon to the redhead's mouth.

"Open." Tsumi ordered quietly.

Muzai didn't hesitate to allow Tsumi to feed her. It tasted different to what she was familiar with, but Tsumi was different than what she was familiar with all together.

"Haven't you ever had an English breakfast before?" Tsumi asked when she realised Muzai's face had turned into an expression of interest more than satisfaction.

"No, I normally just have Tamagoyaki, or rice and Miso soup." Muzai replied once she had finished her mouthful.

"Well it's good to try different things once in a while." Tsumi stated and began to retrieve plates from the cupboards built above the counter.

Muzai was surprised to see how well the older girl knew her way around. Tsumi noticed the redhead staring at her and she smiled briefly.

"When I first started High School I used this very same dorm with my roommate. It hasn't changed at all, just got a little brighter." Tsumi explained as she began to dish out the breakfast.

Muzai tilted her head slightly, "How has it gotten brighter?" She asked with a small frown.

"Because it's got you in it." The silver-haired girl replied simply.

Muzai blushed slightly, she then helped Tsumi with the plates and they walked out into the small living room where Shinrai was watching TV.

"Good morning, Muzai," The older woman called in a tired voice and waved her good arm in her niece's direction, "Tsumi came 'round while you were asleep, so I just let her in." She added, not taking her eyes off of the small television set in front of her.

"You mean you made her cook for us?" Muzai replied with a small smile.

Shinrai looked away from the TV to stare at the plates of food sitting on the small dinning table. She awkwardly pushed her wheelchair with her good hand and raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"Well, she offered to cook, seeing as how I can't stand over a stove and that I only have one usable hand. But I didn't expect a large meal to turn up ten minutes later." Shinrai said with a satisfied smile.

Muzai smiled back at her Aunt and sat down in front of her own meal, Tsumi sat herself beside the redhead and began to eat in silence.

"Did you know that Tsumi used to live in this same dorm when she started High School?" Muzai suddenly spoke up. She figured to keep conversation going to avoid any awkwardness.

"Really? How long ago was that Tsumi?" Shinrai asked before taking a large mouthful of food.

"Two years ago." Tsumi replied in her monotoned voice.

"Did you live here alone?" Shinrai questioned further.

"No, I lived with another girl at the time." The silver-haired girl replied as she slowly took another mouthful.

Muzai continued to eat her food quietly and listened intently to Tsumi's answers.

"So, where are you from?" Shinrai continued to ask questions. Muzai knew she was only asking because she was too shy to do it herself, "Do you have any family?" The older woman added.

"I'm actually an orphan. I lived in an orphanage in Kanagawa for nine years, and then I attended a private academy for six years." Tsumi replied bluntly.

Shinrai raised an eyebrow, she was beginning to find an interest in the the silver-haired girl's history and began asking more questions for both herself and Muzai's curiosity.

"Was the private academy also in Kanagawa?"

Tsumi went silent for a second, she quietly took another mouthful of food before replying, "Yes. But it was very boring, so I came here." She replied simply.

Muzai and Shinrai glanced at each other briefly before looking back at Tsumi, the silver-haired girl continued to eat the meal she had cooked delicately.

"So, were do you live now?" Shinrai asked after they had spent a few moments in silence.

"A few streets away. Not far from your previous apartment." Tsumi replied in monotone.

Muzai was surprised that Tsumi hadn't flipped out from all of the questions being thrown at her.

"Do you live alone?" Shinrai urged.

"No, I live with two University students and two other High School students."

Upon hearing Tsumi's words, both Muzai and Shinrai widened their eyes in surprise. They would never have guessed that Tsumi would live with four other people, it just seemed unreal.

"Are they good friends of yours?" Muzai asked quietly. She didn't know why, but she felt a little bit jealous about the fact that someone else got to see and talk to Tsumi everyday.

Tsumi looked from Shinrai's face to Muzai, she could tell how the redhead was feeling.

"I only meet most of them a year ago. One of them is my old roommate who used to live with me here. She's really the only one I'd consider a friend, the others are just acquaintances." She replied with a small smile.

Muzai blushed when she realised Tsumi had looked straight through her yet again. It seemed that she couldn't hide anything from the silver-haired girl.

No more questions were asked after that and the three finished their meal. Muzai helped Tsumi with the dishes afterwards and then the older girl asked Shinrai if she could take Muzai out to town.

Shinrai gladly said yes and the two girls left the small dorm-room.

They walked in silence for a long time, it wasn't an awkward silence though. It was the kind of silence you share with someone at night, the kind of silence where nothing needs to be said. The kind of silence only lovers share.

Muzai blushed slightly as Tsumi reached for her hand. She didn't pull away though, she allowed the silver-haired girl to cling to her small cold hand with her own warm large one.

"You should have worn gloves." Tsumi stated bluntly.

Muzai looked up at the older girl, she couldn't deny the fact that she looked attractive and pretty. Especially with her unusual hair and oddly coloured eyes. She ended up staring at Tsumi's face for so long that she had noticed two small moles located on her white neck and that she had a small scar above her eyebrow.

Eventually Tsumi noticed that the redhead had been staring at her and she glanced down to look into the younger girl's emerald eyes.

Muzai quickly looked away from Tsumi's multicoloured gaze, and that only made the older girl laugh quietly. They continued to walk in silence and eventually came to a small park.

They walked across the grass and sat down on a bench, Tsumi continued to hold Muzai's hand even once they had sat down.

"Do you have a phone?" Muzai asked after they had sat in silence for a few minutes.

Tsumi raised an eyebrow and then reached into her jean's pocket and pulled out a small phone, "Yes, why?" She asked bluntly.

Muzai gulped and began to blush again, "I was wondering.. If.. I c-could have your.. Number.." She stuttered nervously.

Tsumi smiled lightly, placed her phone down on the bench beside her and extended her hand towards Muzai. She wasn't letting go of the younger girl's hand anytime soon.

"Pass me your phone and I'll trade numbers." The silver-haired girl stated gently.

Muzai nodded and retrieved her own phone from her pocket and handed it to the older girl. Tsumi quickly punched the numbers into both phones and then handed Muzai's back to her.

"I've put my number on speed dial one, so there's no need to waste time if you want to call me." Tsumi said simply and put her phone back into her pocket.

Muzai smiled, she didn't know why she was always so shy of the silver-haired girl. The redhead then looked up at the gloomy sky and her emerald eyes caught something fall slowly.

"It's snowing." She whispered to herself.

Tsumi heard the younger girl and looked up too. She watched as the first few pieces of snow gently fell onto the cold ground, and gradually the whole park begin to fill with small snowflakes.

Muzai thought that Tsumi was like snow. She was cold and pale, sometimes she created havoc and other times she made people happy. She definitely made Muzai happy.

The redhead looked away from the falling snow and glanced up at Tsumi's face again. But this time when Tsumi connected her oddly coloured gaze, Muzai didn't look away.

"I really like you.." The redhead said in a quiet voice.

Tsumi's eyes turned dark for a second but then lit up brightly.

"I want to know more about you..." Muzai added, "And..."

There was a small silence.

"Just say what you're thinking. There's nothing to hide." Tsumi whispered.

Muzai sighed and inched closer towards the older girl, she took a deep breath in and held Tsumi's hand tightly.

"I saw you once, then I saw you again, and now I can't stop thinking about you. Even when I close my eyes, you're always there. Why?" She said without stuttering.

The redhead had began to frown slightly when Tsumi didn't reply after a while. But then something happened all at once that Muzai hadn't expected.

The redhead could feel a lot of things in that split moment of her life. She felt the cold air around her, the damp snowflakes landing on her face, her small hand wrapped in the comfort of another and Tsumi's lips on her's.

Her first kiss. In the snow. On a bench. With another girl, Tsumi Kokutan.


	10. Leader

Author's Notes

Chapters will probably take a fortnight or so to put up these days. It seems even I have so much to do and can't handle everything at once. Just to clarify: this story has not been cast aside.

Also, this chapter is semi-short. It's not really short, but it's not as long as the previous chapters have been.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Loveless.

* * *

After the events that had occurred in the park, Tsumi returned Muzai to her dorm and then left. Muzai was upset about the other girl having to leave so soon, but she was high in spirits once more when Tsumi texted her. The two spent the rest of the day talking to each other through short texts, sometimes Tsumi didn't reply for a while but Muzai didn't complain at all.

And then Monday came around, another day in High School.

Muzai did her usual routine; got up, got dressed, had breakfast, prepared lunch, left the house. The redhead didn't need to walk far now that she lived within the school grounds, so she arrived a lot earlier than she had done in the previous week.

She had been desperately checking her phone all morning and bumped into a lot of classmates and students as she made her way through the hall, eventually she closed the mobile up and sighed.

Muzai never complained a lot, but she was going to be doing a lot of it next time she saw Tsumi.

Finally she reached her class for that morning. Science. And normally science included a partner.

Muzai was surprised to see that there was someone else sitting in the room when she arrived. It was at least an hour until class started, and so far Muzai hadn't met any determined students. She always assumed that she was the only one.

Upon hearing the door open, the stranger looked over their shoulder to see Muzai walk in.

And Muzai was only more surprised when she saw who said stranger was.

"You were in the Hospital." She suddenly blurted.

"That's right, I'm honoured that you remember me. Fumetsu Miryoku, at your service." Miryoku said with a charming smile.

Muzai smiled back and introduced herself, she then took the seat beside the older boy and got started with her work.

She liked Miryoku's company, it wasn't like the creepy and uncomfortable company she felt when she had been around Kuro. And Muzai knew that Kuro was not to be trusted from the start. But with Miryoku, she just felt like a normal High School student.

Eventually class started and Muzai and Miryoku paired up as lab partners, but they were soon asked to leave the room after they had made a small uncalculated reaction. But it didn't faze them much.

After Science, Muzai had Music class.

Merodī greeted her warmly and praised her talent a lot more than he did with the other students. And that made Muzai feel special.

Finally lunchtime came around and Muzai found her usual seat in the Cafeteria away from the other students. She began to dig into her meal when someone came over to her table.

"Is this seat free?"

Muzai looked up from her food and saw the golden eyes of Miryoku staring down at her. She was speechless for a moment.

"Yes, of course. Take it." She said frantically once the silence had grown awkward.

The crimson-haired boy sat down across from Muzai and opened up his bento box. He ate in silence, but the atmosphere didn't become awkward. Muzai wondered if Miryoku was anti-social and didn't really know how to talk to people, like her.

"How long have you attended this High School?" Muzai asked quietly.

Miryoku looked up briefly and smiled slightly, "Today's my first day here." He replied before taking a mouthful of rice.

"Really? Are you a transfer student?" Muzai questioned as she leant closer in her chair.

"No, I was kinda late," The older boy stated, "I was busy with a private Academy. I attended it during the holidays, but I forget to give in my paper work and... Well, I kinda fell behind." He added.

Muzai's eyes widened in interest, "Really? Where was the private Academy?" She asked with an enthusiastic voice.

"Kanagawa." Miryoku replied simply.

"Really?!" Muzai suddenly blurted loudly, making the crimson-haired boy jump a little, "A friend of mine attended a private Academy in Kanagawa too!" She added happily.

Miryoku couldn't help but laugh at the redhead's cheery personality, he continued to eat with a small smile on his face. And Muzai ate with a wide smile on her's.

The rest of the day seemed to fly by. And if it wasn't for the company of Miryoku, then Muzai would have spent the day in a sulk about Tsumi not calling her. Finally the redhead exited the building and began her journey back home in the cold.

She started to skip slightly and came up to the brick wall where Tsumi normally sat, only this time she was standing by the wall with someone.

Muzai frowned, Tsumi was talking to someone she had never met before. They were about the same height as Tsumi and their hair was short and black, they wore glasses and had a violin case in their hand. They wore a large black hoodie and a short miniskirt.

"...I may be busy." Tsumi said with a small sigh.

Muzai walked up to Tsumi slowly. When Tsumi's multicoloured gaze landed on the redhead, she suddenly looked panicked. Muzai frowned again and then looked at the other girl beside Tsumi.

"Ah, a friend of your's?" The dark-haired stranger asked as she glanced over at the young redhead briefly.

Tsumi opened her mouth to say something, but Muzai decided to speak first.

"Aiborī Muzai." The redhead stated as she held out a hand confidently.

"Muzai?" The stranger repeated and looked over the top of her glasses at the younger girl.

A small irritated smile crept on her face and her glasses seemed to suddenly shine in an eerie way, she moved her violin's case onto her back and tightened the strap around her firmly before taking Muzai's hand. Tightly.

"Komando Rīdā." She replied and gripped tighter onto Muzai's small hand, making the redhead yelp and take her hand back quickly.

"Rīdā." Tsumi hissed in an irritated voice.

"Pardon me. I guess my grip has always been a little rough around the edges. Wouldn't you say so, Tsumi?" Rīdā said, eyeballing at the silver-haired girl beside her.

Muzai thought that she saw Tsumi blush slightly, but she was too frustrated to take a second glance. The redhead was confused, who exactly did this girl think she was?

"Well, I better be going now," Rīdā announced and laced her arm around Tsumi's waist, "See you when you get home." She added and quickly gave Tsumi a small peck on the cheek.

Both Muzai and Tsumi watched the older girl leave, she disappeared in a trail of anger and satisfaction. When she was clear from sight, Tsumi suddenly spoke up.

"She's my housemate. We're just friends." She stated frantically.

"Right. I understand." Muzai replied in a sad voice and turned on her heel and began to walk away.

"Where are you going?" Tsumi called after the young redhead.

"Home. I don't need you to walk me there." The redhead replied and quickened her pace.

Tsumi was about to follow, but she decided that Muzai probably didn't need her anyway; seeing as how she lived so close to the school now.

After a few moments of standing in the cold air, Tsumi decided to walk her own way and head home.

Muzai was furious, she knew that the silver-haired girl had deep secrets. But she didn't expect one of those secrets to be a girlfriend of her's.

The redhead had been concluding all of the negative things and didn't even think about wondering if this Rīdā was just a little protective and that maybe she really was just a friend of Tsumi's.

But it was too late to turn around now.

The redhead continued to make her way back to her dorm but stopped suddenly when she saw someone walking on ahead of her.

"Fumetsu-kun?" Muzai called out nervously.

She walked up to the other person and raised an eyebrow when she saw that it really was her classmate walking by.

"Oh, good evening Aiborī-san." Miryoku said once he realised the younger girl had walked up to him, "There isn't a chance that you live in one of the dorms, is there?" He asked once a small silence had grown between them.

Muzai just nodded slowly in response, and Miryoku couldn't help but smile slyly.

"Well, my luck seems to be getting better and better. Which one are you in? I can walk you, if you like." The crimson haired boy said with a charming tone.

Muzai was about to turn down the offer, but something told her to let the other boy walk her home. It was childish, but she wanted to make Tsumi feel as bad as she had felt.

A part of her wished she didn't have to use Miryoku to do it. But there was no one else.

"I'd like that." Muzai said with a small smile and walked closer to the older boy.

Miryoku couldn't help but smile to himself as he walked beside the redhead. He couldn't believe how easy all of this seemed to be.

Finally the two reached Muzai's dorm and had to part for the night.

"Goodnight, Aiborī-san." Miryoku said politely before turning on his heel and began to walk away.

"Wait..." Muzai called out after a moment of hesitation.

Miryoku turned around and raised an eyebrow, "Yes?" He asked and waited for the redhead to answer.

"Uhh... Do... You want to... Trade numbers...?" Muzai asked shyly and looked down at the cold ground as she spoke.

The crimson haired boy smiled to himself again and walked back over to Muzai.

"Sure. I'd love that." He said and held out a hand.

Muzai was surprised at first. She quickly began to scramble around and retrieve her phone from her pocket, she pulled out the device and handed it to Miryoku.

The older boy was quick on both phones and traded their numbers, he handed Muzai's phone back to her and their hands brushed against one another briefly, which made Muzai blush slightly.

"Have a goodnight, Aiborī-san." Miryoku whispered and left for good.

All Muzai could do at that moment was silently watch the boy leave. She had no idea if what she was doing was a good idea at all.


	11. Silence

Author's Notes.

** Warning!**

**This chapter involves minor fluff between girlxgirl. If you are not a fan of Yuri, or just don't read this kind of stuff, please leave now. Thank you.**

Disclaimer: I don't own Loveless.

* * *

Muzai was furious at herself and Tsumi. But despite her childish rage, she still had her phone nearby the following morning.

She looked down at the device as it began to vibrate in her small hand, she couldn't help the beating in her chest from speeding as she opened up the mobile to see the text.

But she was shrouded with disappointment when the text she had received had been sent by Miryoku .

Muzai sighed quietly and read the text in a small whisper.

"I want to show you something. Meet me at the gates after class." She was slightly shocked at the boy's words.

He wanted to show her something? But what?

The redhead pushed the thought aside and shoved her phone into her shorts' pocket as she trailed down the hallways to her next class quickly.

Merodī was busy sorting through papers and documents when Muzai walked in. The classroom was empty, seeing as how class didn't start for a few minutes. The redhead threw her bag down onto her desk roughly and that caused Merodī to jump and the pen he held skidded across the paper he had been writing on.

"Bad day, Aiborī-san?" Merodī asked with a loud sigh.

Muzai looked up at the pink-haired man and blushed slightly, "Sorry, Sensei. I just... Had a bad day.." She said quietly.

Merodī continued to scribble on the paper in front of him as he nodded slowly. After he had come to a full stop, he stood up from his desk and walked over to Muzai.

"Not too long ago, you asked about Kokutan Tsumi and about what classes she took," The pink-haired man said as he lent against Muzai's desk, "I took the time to check up on her previous records. If you're still interested, I can answer your questions now." He added.

Muzai began to wonder about when she had actually asked about Tsumi, but she just shook it off and looked up at the yellow gaze looking down at her.

"I appreciate it, Sensei. But Tsumi and I... We're not really... Talking." Muzai said, almost in a whisper.

Merodī nodded slowly once more as he listened to his student's words. He then began to walk back to his own desk and sort through the paper stacked on top of it.

"Kokutan is a very... Unique person. But she was never good with communication. Don't let that bother you, Aiborī-san." Merodī stated as he pulled out a large folder.

Muzai watched as the older man walked back over to her and handed her the file. She hesitated before taking it with her small hands.

"What is it?" She asked as she frowned at the folder's black case.

"It's in case you change your mind about wanting to know about Kokutan." Merodī replied simply with a smile.

Muzai's eyes widened and she began to hand the folder back, "But I'm not allowed to take stuff like this from school! I don't even think I'm allowed to read about other students!" She said frantically.

Merodī didn't take the folder back, he didn't even seem afraid of getting into trouble.

"It's not the original. I copied and printed all of her data and put it in there. I doubt that you're the kind of person to tell on me. I trust you." He said with another smile and walked back to his desk.

Muzai continued to hold the folder out into the air, as if it was a bomb or a deadly poison. Eventually her arms grew tired and she dropped the black folder onto her desk. She just stared at it with a wide-eyed expression.

"Sensei.." Muzai eventually muttered.

Merodī looked up from his work and stared at the redhead, "Yes?" He asked delicately.

Muzai gulped and placed her hand onto the black folder's surface, "Will I still think of Tsumi the same way after I read this?" She asked, her tone had turned into a mixture of sadness and frustration.

Merodī gave a long groan and lent back in his chair. He began to chew the tip of his pen in thought, and finally came up with an answer.

"That really all depends on what you already know about her." His voice was soft and caring.

Muzai hung her head slowly and traced her finger across the black surface of the folder. She quickly put it inside her bag as students began to fill the music room. And nothing more was said about the situation.

All of her classes after that seemed to last a long time. Muzai managed to do each of them with confidence, but lately her classes weren't the main worry of her life.

After class, Muzai made her way to the school gates where Miryoku had asked to meet after school. As she walked out into the cool evening air, her cheeks flushed pink at the sudden change of temperature and she began to move faster.

Miryoku was leaning against the school's large gates, he had a cigarette hanging limply in his mouth as he began to search for a lighter in his jeans' pocket. He stopped looking all together when he saw Muzai approaching.

"Good evening, Aiborī-san. You got my text then?" Miryoku said as he took the cigarette out of his mouth and slipped it into his pocket.

"Yes, I did. What did you want to show me?" Muzai replied as she stopped walking and stood a few feet away from the crimson-haired boy.

Miryoku slipped his bag off of his shoulder and began to scramble through the bag's contents as he spoke.

"Well, apparently there's some sort of festival happening over in Kanagawa this evening. I just wondered if you wanted to come with me." He explained and pulled out a leaflet from his bag and began reading.

Muzai frowned when she noticed that Miryoku had glasses on, she was sure he didn't wear them before.

"I didn't know you wore glasses." She blurted suddenly.

Miryoku moved his golden gaze from the leaflet he was reading and looked up at the redhead, "Only when I need to. Close up work, that's all." He replied and put the glasses and leaflet back inside his bag.

Muzai looked at her wristwatch, she had finished class earlier than usual, so she didn't have to go home straight away.

"What do you say? Care to join me?" Miryoku asked as he held out a hand for Muzai to take.

The redhead slowly took the boy's hand after a moment of hesitation. She didn't know why she liked Miryoku so much. But something told her that she hadn't taken his hand because she liked him, she had taken his hand because she was still annoyed at Tsumi.

The two slowly walked off down the street just as someone slowly trudged out of the building. Tsumi Kokutan.

The silver-haired girl yawned and rubbed the back of her neck as she began to walk towards the wall. Her eyes had been on the ground and she hadn't realised that Muzai had just left seconds before she had exited the building. However, she did feel the lingering of the redhead's presence by the gates.

Tsumi quickened her pace and ran over to the gates. She peered around the corner and saw Muzai walking off.

"Muzai!" Tsumi called out, causing the redhead to stop and look over her shoulder.

Muzai widened her eyes slightly and watched as the silver-haired girl ran up to her. Miryoku hadn't noticed that Muzai had stopped at first. He looked over towards the redhead and gasped when he saw Tsumi. He acted quickly and hid behind the oncoming corner, he peered around the wall to watch the two talk.

"What is it, Tsumi?" Muzai asked quietly, her gaze had drifted to the road beside them.

"I wanted to apologise for... The other night." The silver-haired girl replied slowly.

Muzai's eye twitched slightly as she re-called the incident that had occurred. She looked back at Tsumi's multi-coloured eyes and stood up straight, "If that is all, I must be going." She stated and turned on her heel.

"Where are you going..?" Tsumi called out with interest.

Muzai stopped in her tracks and took a deep breath in before replying, "I'm going into Kanagawa, with a friend."

Tsumi raised a silver eyebrow and slipped her hands into her pockets, "Which friend?" She asked in a careless tone.

Muzai clenched her teeth and turned around to face the older girl. There was a small moment of silence between them.

"I have other friends. It's not just you!" Muzai stated cruelly.

"That's not what Shinrai told me." Tsumi replied simply.

There was another small silence in the air. The environment around the two became cold and unwelcoming.

"Your Aunt said that our friendship reminded her of her own childhood friendship. Apparently, like herself, you have no other friends. Just me." Tsumi added and closed her eyes slowly, awaiting Muzai's next words.

"Yeah, and did you know that she doesn't even speak to her old childhood friend anymore? They drifted apart!" Muzai shot back, she then took a large breath in and once again turned on her heel, "I don't feel like talking to you anymore. And I don't even want to hear your excuses for not texting or calling me for the past two days." She added and sped off.

Tsumi was about to call her back, but the redhead disappeared behind the corner and it seemed pointless to do so. Instead the silver-haired girl took a deep breath in before throwing her fist at the wall beside her. The concrete seemed no match for her anger, it trembled under her fist and a long crack split across it's surface.

There had been two woman walking by on the other side of the road at the time. They gasped as the silver-haired girl punched the wall, they were even more shocked to see how much damage she had exactly caused.

Tsumi felt eyes on her and she shot the strangers a sharp glare. The woman didn't hesitate and they began to run away from the silver-haired girl's gaze.

Tsumi watched as the two disappeared from her sight, after that she stood up and began walking back towards her own house, in a furious aura.

The silver-haired girl had made it back to her house just as the sun had began to set. She looked up to see her roommates Migi and Hidari walk out of the house and make their way down the concrete staircase. The two had dyed their hair once more, which made it impossible to tell them apart. This week; one had cotton-candy pink and the other had bright neon purple.

The two had been talking about something, but they immediately stopped when they noticed Tsumi walking up the road.

"Hey, Tsumi. What ya' doing?" The two asked in a eerie rhythm.

"Where did you put it?" Tsumi suddenly asked, her voice full of annoyance.

Migi and Hidari both took a step back as the silver-haired girl came towards them.

"We don't know what you're-" Migi started, but was soon cut off as Tsumi grabbed ahold of their ears.

"Don't screw with me. I know you little buggers hid my phone! Now tell me where it is!" Tsumi yelled and tightened her grip on the twin's ears.

"It wasn't our fault!" Hidari whined and flinched as Tsumi tightened her grip.

"Rīdā said that you were using your phone too much...!" Migi cried and gave a yelp of pain.

"It's all Rīdā's fault! She gave us the idea!" The two yelled together.

Tsumi rolled her eyes and dropped the siblings to the floor. She couldn't be asked to talk to them anymore and walked up the concrete stairs.

Shizuka had been standing at the doorway watching the entire scene, although his expression remained blank.

"Where is it, Shizuka?" Tsumi asked with a deadly glare.

Shizuka gulped and pointed towards the front room. He was about to say the exact location, but Tsumi just pushed by the older boy and shut the front door loudly.

The silver-haired girl stormed into the living room and stood in the centre of it. Her multi-coloured gaze glanced sharply around the contents of the room, and they only grew darker when they rested upon the built in aquarium.

She walked over to the glass tank built into the wall and knelt down to look directly into the tank. Her eyes looked over the many, many, many fish swimming peacefully inside their home and finally her gaze fell upon the large mini castle ornament at the bottom of the tank. In front of the large ornament rested her mobile.

She growled loudly and cursed under her breath as she quickly tore her long coat of off her arms and threw it down onto the floor. She un-bottened her black shirt and threw that onto the floor along with her coat. She stood in her small vest and trousers as she hurriedly opened the top of the large aquarium and dipped her arm into the water and began to scoop for the phone.

After at least five minutes, she retrieved the device and brought it out of the water and closed the tank up again.

Just then, Rīdā came into the living room. The older girl only had a towel draped around body and her hair was dripping wet.

"Oh, I didn't hear you come in." Rīdā said and walked into her room, she left the door open so that she could still speak to the other girl, "Shizuka has taken Migi and Hidari out for the evening. To some festival or something, so we got the place to ourselves." She called as she began to rub her black hair dry.

Tsumi ignored her roommate's words and ran up the stairs and walked into her bedroom. Her room hardly had anything in it. All there was, was a large double bed, a body-length mirror and an easel with many canvas' around it. Everything was white, the floors, the walls, her bed sheets, everything.

But the scenery was soon about to change, because Tsumi was in a very poor mood and she felt like destroying something and right now she had to chose between the canvas' or the mirror. She decided to get rid of the mirror, seeing as how she never truly appreciated her own reflection.

The silver-haired girlthrew off her hat and jumped over her bed before landing a powerful blow onto the mirror. The glass began to shatter on impact and the shards hit the floor like heavy raindrops.

Tsumi couldn't remember the last time she had destroyed furniture, but she knew that was why there was nothing in her room anymore. The silver-haired girl took a deep breath in and walked away from the broken mirror, she fell back onto her bed and laid down on the soft sheets.

She attempted to control her anger and began to think of positive things, but it was hopeless. Her hand was now in a complete wreck from punching both the school's wall and her bedroom mirror. Tsumi began to trace her finger along the wounds she had received from Kuro's gunshots. They were healing nicely and that seemed to irritate Tsumi somehow.

Without thinking about it, Tsumi began to scratch her wounds, causing them to re-open and bleed once again. She was so fixed in her anger and frustration that she hadn't realised Rīdā walking into the room.

The older girl gasped and ran over to the silver-haired girl and pulled her hands away from her chest.

"What the hell!? Do you want to have scars?!" Rīdā yelled frantically and pulled Tsumi up into a sitting position on the bed.

The silver-haired girl was silent, she didn't even make eye contact with the black-haired girl. Rīdā looked over Tsumi's wounds and then checked her hand.

It didn't take her too long to realise that Tsumi had punched the mirror. Rīdā didn't say anything about it, she just left the room quickly and returned with the first aid kit. The two didn't say anything as Rīdā patched up Tsumi's wounds, even after she had finished there was a long silence in the air.

Finally, the silence was broken.

"It's been a long time since you've acted like that." Rīdā said, her voice was calm but strict.

Tsumi just stared down at the older girl who, had been kneeling on the floor as her blue eyes stared up into Tsumi's gaze. Rīdā shifted around on the floor and came closer to the edge of the bed, she rested her hand gently on Tsumi's leg and looked down.

"I know we haven't really been in the best mood with each other recently, and that we haven't really had the chance to talk about our situation, but-" Rīdā was soon cut off in her words as Tsumi's head landed on her shoulder roughly.

The silver-haired girl breathed deeply and buried her head into Rīdā's shoulder further.

"Tsumi...?" Rīdā muttered in surprise.

"Can you do something for me...?" Tsumi whispered.

The older girl's eyes widened and she lent her head against Tsumi's gently.

"Sure, what is it?" She asked quietly.

"I want to feel better... Could you... Put me back together?" Tsumi whimpered.

Rīdā gasped slightly, the only time she had ever heard those words before had been two years ago. She smiled to herself slightly and gently pushed Tsumi back down onto the bed and climbed over her. The black-haired girl loomed over the younger girl for a moment, her blue eyes glanced down at Tsumi's expressionless gaze.

Finally she lent down and placed her lips on Tsumi's.

* * *

Muzai and Miryoku had reached the train station just as the sky had turned dark. The redhead began to check the time tables and frowned slightly.

"Fumetsu-kun? Are you sure this train goes to Kanagawa? It doesn't say anywhere on the time tables.." Muzai said as she continued to scan the board's writing.

"No, it's this train. Trust me," Miryoku replied as he looked down at the tracks, "Look! See? The train is already on it's way!" He added as he pointed into the distance.

Muzai walked away from the board and joined Miryoku's side. She lent over the tracks slightly and looked off into the distance.

"Are you sure?" She questioned slowly.

Miryoku smiled and walked away from the edge and stood a few feet behind Muzai.

"Oh, yes. It's almost here. This will be a very unforgettable trip." He said quietly to himself as he raised his hands slowly.


	12. Equal

Author's Notes.

Poor little Muzai.

Disclaimer: I don't own Loveless.

* * *

Muzai had been staring off towards the distance, waiting to see the oncoming train. But eventually she gave up and sighed. She almost fell onto the tracks when she heard Miryoku's phone go off.

The crimson-haired boy cursed and stepped away from Muzai. He dug his phone out of his pocket and answered it.

"What?!" His voice was full of annoyance.

Muzai stepped away from the tracks and watched as Miryoku's face expression changed from anger to surprise.

"Of course.. Ugh," The crimson-haired boy looked over to Muzai and covered the phone's speaker for a moment, "I just need to take this call. Don't go anywhere." He said and walked off.

Muzai sighed and sat down on a small bench beside the tracks. The night air had began to creep onto her skin and she started to shiver. Her emerald eyes looked over towards the time tables once again. She was sure that Kanagawa wasn't on there.

Finally, Miryoku returned and sat beside Muzai. There was a small silence before Muzai spoke up.

"So, who was that on the phone?"

Miryoku lent back into the chair and sighed loudly, "That was... Just an old friend." He replied and put his phone back inside his pocket.

"An old friend...?" Muzai repeated slowly.

She lent back against the chair too and began to pull her own phone out of her pocket. She looked at the device and flipped it open. Miryoku watched with interest as Muzai went through her contacts.

"I'm just gunna phone my Aunt." The redhead stated and stood up slowly.

Miryoku watched the younger girl with sly eyes, like a bird watching it's prey.

Muzai put the phone up to her ear and waited for a reply. After a few rings on the other end, someone picked up.

"Hello?" It was Shinrai's voice.

"Hey, it's Muzai. I won't be home for a while, I'm going to this festival with a friend." The redhead said as she looked down at the ground.

"Really? Well, I hope you and Tsumi have a good time." Shinrai replied in cheery voice.

Muzai was silent for a moment, she bit her lip before replying, "Actually... Tsumi and I aren't really talking at the moment." She said quietly.

"What? How come this is the first I've heard of it?" Shinrai asked with surprise, "You know what, we can talk about this later. But maybe you should just try and talk things over with her on your own. When too many people get involved in a friendship, it often causes more damage than there already is." She added.

Muzai smiled at her Aunt's 'sagely wisdom' and she confidently took the older woman's advice, "Thank you, Aunt. I will. Goodbye." She said sweetly and hung up.

"Hey, Aiborī-san! What are you up to now?" Miryoku yelled impatiently.

* * *

Tsumi opened her eyes suddenly as her phone began to vibrate by her head. She turned her head towards the device and nudged at the black-haired girl who had been nuzzling at her neck.

"Ignore it." Rīdā growled and began to kiss Tsumi again.

The silver-haired girl rejected the kiss and pushed Rīdā off of her. She rolled onto her stomach and grabbed her phone and quickly put it to her ear.

"Hello?" Tsumi said down the mobile and avoided Rīdā's irritated gaze.

"...Tsumi...?" The reply came.

The silver-haired girl widened her eyes and she sat up quickly, "Muzai? Are you alright?" She asked frantically.

Rīdā scoffed when she heard Tsumi address the caller, she climbed off of the bed and picked up her jumper from the floor. She quickly put it back on and began to pick up the broken shards of Tsumi's mirror quietly.

"Muzai.. Where are you?" Tsumi asked and jumped off of her bed.

"I'm at a train station... I'm here with..." Muzai was cut off as a crash came from the other end of the phone.

Tsumi frowned and desperately waited for the noise to cease. When it finally did, a different voice spoke down the phone.

"Good afternoon, Kokutan. Your little Muzai here is quite the treat. Very pretty. Such a shame that she'll be something that resembles dog food by the end of the day." Miryoku's voice stated coldly.

Tsumi breathed in deeply and clenched her teeth, "If you lay a single hair on her... I will kill you." She growled threateningly.

"Oh, like I haven't heard those lines before." Miryoku replied sarcastically, he paused and there was a small yelp which came from Muzai, "After I'm done with her, I'm taking you back to Sensei." He added with a smirk.

Tsumi threw her phone onto the floor and ran out of the room, she jumped the last six stairs and quickly grabbed her coat from the floor before bolting out of the house. Rīdā attempted to stop her as she began to shout from the window.

"Tsumi! Where are you going?!" She yelled in annoyance.

Tsumi ignored her and continued to run down the streets. Despite the fact that she had no idea where Muzai was, she was determined to reach her before Miryoku could complete the first half of his mission.

* * *

Muzai slowly got back up to her feet after Miryoku had thrown her to the floor roughly. She had began to cry slightly, she felt completely stupid for trusting the crimson-haired boy.

"You.. You're another one like.. Kuro. Aren't you?" Muzai trembled and looked up at the golden gaze staring down at her.

"Well, well, well, you don't miss a thing do you?" Miryoku replied humorously.

He held Muzai's phone in his hand and looked over the device, he eventually shrugged and threw it down at the tracks. He then picked Muzai up and steadied her onto her feet.

"How can you make this so easy for me? Honestly, you're not really a challenge for me." Miryoku said and stepped closer to Muzai.

The young redhead stepped back on instinct, she began to realise the crimson-haired boy's intention. Only a few more steps forward and he would surely push her off of the edge and onto the tracks.

"Why are you so scared? Can't you hear the train coming? Surely you still want to go to that festival, right?" Miryoku eerily chanted.

Muzai gasped as she began to hear the train approaching. She looked from the crimson-haired boy and off towards the distance. Her feet continued to step back to avoid her personal space being invaded.

"Such a shame." Miryoku whispered and reached his arm out to the redhead slowly.

From across the tracks, footsteps began approaching. Fast.

Miryoku growled when he saw the person appear, he withdrew his arm and realised the stinging pain that had been shooting through his head. He hadn't noticed another Sentouki had been near, and not just any Sentouki.

Tsumi quickened her pace and glanced over at the oncoming train. She cursed as she looked at the tracks in-between herself and Muzai, but she only quickened her pace furiously.

Everything from then seemed unreal to Muzai. The redhead knew that Tsumi had been on the other side of the tracks, but just as the train was about to strike her head, the silver-haired girl leaped across the gap and landed on Muzai. Sending the two rolling across the floor, away from the tracks.

Muzai looked up at the multi-coloured gaze looking down at her. She had no time to thank Tsumi, because the older girl quickly jumped to her feet and faced Miryoku.

"You're quick. I'll give you that." Miryoku said in a pissed off voice.

"Your aura is very loud. But then again, that was always a weakness of yours." Tsumi replied and winced slightly as she stood.

Miryoku looked down at Tsumi's leg and smiled, "Just like your recklessness was always a weakness of yours." He countered.

Muzai gasped and looked at Tsumi's leg, it was awkwardly bent and bleeding badly. She guessed that the train hadn't missed them after all.

"Nothing I can't handle." Tsumi muttered and ran towards Miryoku.

The crimson-haired boy reacted quickly and jumped inhumanly high. He landed on the train and began to disappear with it.

"Just one thing. I gave Sensei your number, you should be expecting a heart-warming call any day now." Miryoku yelled and laughed manically before disappearing as the train sped out of sight.

All Muzai and Tsumi could do, was watch the boy go.


	13. Memory

Author's Notes.

Tsumi's quick, like _REALLY _quick. She could beat Sonic the Hedgehog at a race. Well, just so that's clear: on with the story!

Disclaimer: I don't own Loveless.

* * *

Muzai didn't remember anything after seeing Miryoku escape on the train. In fact, the whole scene seemed like a blur, as if it hadn't actually happened at all. The next day she awoke in her own bed, and she wasn't sure as to how she had made it back home.

After a few moments of staring up at the ceiling in thought, the redhead slowly sat up and looked around the room. She wasn't exactly sure as to what is was she was searching for. Something to tell her if last night's events had occurred? Or maybe something to tell her that everything had just been a dream after all?

Whatever it was, she eventually gave up and climbed out of bed. She slowly walked out of her room and stumbled into the bathroom and took a quick, cold, shower. Which completely woke her up.

After that she dressed herself in a long, purple, shirt that reached the tops of her knees and which covered most of her hands. Under the large shirt, she had a tight black vest on, and on her legs she had pulled on a pair of black leggings. She pulled her long, vermillion hair into a side pony-tail and left her bedroom.

Shinrai had been sitting in a large armchair as she lazily flipped through the channels on the small TV set in front of her. The older woman had bags under her eyes and she yawned as Muzai entered the room.

"Good morning." Shinrai mumbled in a tired voice.

"Good morning," Muzai replied and walked straight through the lounge and into the kitchen to prepare her lunch for school, but she stopped in the doorway and glanced over her shoulder towards her Aunt, "What time did I came home last night?" She asked with a frown.

Shinrai closed her eyes in thought and then sighed before replying, "About... Half-ten, maybe later. Did you have any trouble at the festival?" The older woman replied with a concerned look.

Muzai was quiet for a moment, "No, why?" She asked, trying to sound calm.

Shinrai raised an eyebrow in suspicion and looked deeper into her niece's eyes, "Well, despite the fact that you told me you and Tsumi weren't talking, she happened to be the one to bring you home last night." She stated and glanced back over to the TV.

Muzai bit her lip nervously and quickly thought how to reply, "Well... Tsumi ended up going to the festival too. And we bumped into each other at the train station. So, she brought me home." The redhead said quickly and walked into the kitchen.

Shinrai lent forward in her chair and grabbed the coffee mug that sat on the small table beside her as her green eyes scanned the TV lazily. She listened intently as Muzai moved around in the kitchen, preparing her lunch. She was so proud of how much Muzai had grown. And she was especially proud as to how the young redhead was keeping herself together, despite the fact that her older brother was in jail and her parents were hardly ever around.

But Shinrai had also began to suspect the fact that Muzai had began to keep things from her, and she was determined to have a serious talk with her niece when she came back home later that evening.

Muzai returned after a few minutes with her lunchbox and walked over to Shinrai to say goodbye. She hugged the older woman quickly and left the dorm. The air was already crisp and cold, there was a small sliver of frost which coated the school's grounds and the sky looked grey and bright. Muzai was convinced that by the end of the day, it would be snowing.

She reached the school within minutes and slowly stepped inside the building. Her first task that she had set herself was to locate Tsumi and ask her the questions she desperately needed answered.

The redhead quickened her pace down the halls and ran straight into another student. They crashed head-on and the force pushed them both to the ground. Muzai groaned loudly and sat up from the floor to check on the other student.

They were also lying on their own back across from Muzai, they whined quietly and slowly sat up before rubbing their neck in pain.

It was a boy, no older than Muzai. He seemed fragile and nervous somehow, even at a first glance. He had a deep purple tint in his dark hair and his eyes were bright yellow, and one of them was patched up with an eyepatch. The kind of eyepatch for wounds.

As Muzai examined his frail figure further, she noticed that he had a few plasters on his neck, cheeks and even bandages over his arms. His clothes were plain, just a simple black shirt and worn-out jeans. He stood up to his feet quickly and nervously stuttered over his own words.

But Muzai spoke up first, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to run into you. I was being careless." She spoke with a soft smile and that seemed to ease the boy's face a little.

"That's.. O-okay. I wasn't.. L-looking either." He replied, his voice had a nervous and slight trembled tone about it.

He very slowly reached his hand down towards Muzai and it shook slightly, the redhead didn't hesitate to take it and allow the boy to pull her off of the floor. Muzai felt guilty when she saw the boy flinch as he pulled her onto her feet, she was surprised that he hadn't fallen over again from her weight. Despite his appearance, he was actually quite strong.

When the other boy didn't release Muzai's hand, the redhead quickly took the chance to introduce herself.

"Aiborī Muzai." She said with a warm smile and shook his hand gently.

The dark-haired boy's eyes widened slightly and he shook the redhead's hand back slowly, "Memori... Hahen..." He replied quietly.

Muzai released his hand and looked at her wristwatch quickly, she widened her eyes and began to walk off, brushing Hahen's shoulder as she passed him.

"I have to be somewhere, sorry!" Muzai called over her shoulder and picked up her speed quickly.

"W-wait!" Hahen called out quickly, his voice slightly cracked as he raised it's volume.

Muzai stopped suddenly as she heard the boy call out to her, her sudden halt caused her to slip on the freshly cleaned floor and she fell over once again.

Hahen covered his mouth from shock and ran over to her, being careful not to slip up like the redhead had just done. He stopped a few inches away from her and began to reach out a shaking hand towards her, "A-are you... O-kay, Aiborī-san...?" He asked nervously.

He jumped slightly as Muzai began to laugh. She careful stood back up and turned around to face him, her cheeks had turned a bright pink colour and she couldn't stop laughing.

"I'm sorry... I just need to.." Muzai began, but started to laugh loudly once more and she covered her mouth quickly as her laughter turned into unattractive snorts.

Hahen smiled slightly and he pulled his hand away and began to shyly fumble around with his sleeve. When Muzai had calmed down, mainly after the hallways had began to fill up with other students, she asked Hahen why he had stopped her.

"I... Wanted to k-know if... You k-knew where the... M-music room is.." He replied quietly and looked away with his yellow eye.

Muzai smiled slightly and checked her wristwatch again. She decided that the search for Tsumi could wait.

"Sure, I know where it is. Come on." She replied and began to walk the way she had originally come from.

As the two walked towards the classroom, Muzai frowned to herself and looked over at the nervous boy walking beside her.

"This is my first class for today, and it doesn't start for at least another hour or so." She stated and turned a corner slowly.

"I know... I just wanted to reach it before a-anyone else did." Hahen replied and glanced down at the floor quickly to avoid Muzai's emerald gaze.

"Well in that case, you're lucky that you crashed into me! I always get there before anyone else." Muzai replied with a smile. She felt as if she needed to keep a cheery vibe around this student, she felt like he needed to be reminded of happiness.

Finally the two reached the music room and to both of their satisfaction: it was indeed empty. Well all apart from Merodī, who was sitting at his desk and slowly flipping through sheet music.

He looked up to see Muzai and Hahen enter the room and he widened his eyes slightly and quickly rose from his seat.

"Hahen? You didn't tell me you were back in Tokyo!" Merodī said and walked over to the dark-haired boy.

"I... I..." Hahen mumbled and nervously began to pick at his bandages on his fingers.

Merodī shook his head and smiled gently. He placed a hand on Hahen's shoulder and pulled him in for a hug. Muzai looked away slightly, she felt that it was a personal thing and she made her way to her desk.

Hahen was frozen with surprise for a moment. He slowly lifted his arms to return the hug, but Merodī pulled away too quickly for him to do so.

The pink-haired man looked over at Muzai quickly and smiled as he led Hahen to a desk, "Aiborī-san, I see you've met Hahen, my nephew." He said with a wide smile.

Muzai raised her eyebrows in surprise as she looked from Merodī to Hahen, and she began to see a similar resemblance.

"I had no idea you had a nephew, Merodī-sensei." Muzai said and smiled at Hahen again.

"It's a long story." Merodī stated and walked back over to his desk as he went through the many, many, many files stacked up on it.

It seemed that his desk was continuously growing with papers and folders everyday. Hahen continued to nervously fumble with his bandages and began to chew his thumbnail. Muzai couldn't work out why the dark-haired boy was so nervous.

Music class was interesting. Merodī introduced Hahen to the other students and he paired Muzai and his nephew together to perform a duet with the piano. Which surprised Muzai, she couldn't imagine that Hahen's shaking hands could possibly create a steady alluring sound. All of the other students were also amazed and applauded loudly for Muzai and Hahen once they had finished.

Once again, everything seemed normal for Muzai.


	14. Past

Author's Notes

In the previous chapter, Merodī's nephew's name was written as 'Hahan' but it's SUPPOSED to be written as 'Hahen'. I went back and updated it quickly, but there still may be a 'Hahan' in the previous chapter. Oops.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Loveless.

* * *

Muzai finished her class for the day and headed towards the building's exit. Many other students were hurrying to leave and she began to fell closed in and tiny, it was an uncomfortable feeling, but she forgot all about it when a hand reached out for her sleeve.

She turned around to see who it was and she was slightly surprised to see Hahen. They had separated ways after music class and Muzai hadn't really thought about seeing him again. But she didn't complain about it, because Hahen looked frightened about something. And that was more of a concern to Muzai than whether or not actually_ wanting_ to see him.

"Hey, Memori-kun. Are you okay?" Muzai asked as she stopped in her tracks and turned around to face the dark-haired boy completely.

Hahen's eye was wide with fright. His hand was still grasped on Muzai's sleeve tightly, even after the redhead had turned around and spoken to him. He gulped and tried to find his voice, but nothing came out. It didn't take long for Muzai to realise that the crowd of passing students seemed to be what freaked the dark-haired boy out.

When most of the students had left the building, Hahen released his grip on Muzai's sleeve and stepped back quickly. He almost tripped over his own shoelaces and steadied himself quickly before his face could meet the floor.

Muzai wanted to jump out and save him, but she stopped herself before she could. She began to feel uneasy. The two previous people she had '_bumped into_' hadn't seemed like a threat at first either. But then the she shook her head suddenly, Hahen was Merodī's nephew. There was no way that he could be the same as Kuro and Miryoku. Right?

She decided to risk it and quickly steadied the dark-haired boy by grabbing his elbow. He winced at first, but then he allowed the redhead to help him and the two walked out of the building together. Once they stepped into the cool air, Muzai let go of Hahen's elbow and she quickly clapped her hands together and began to rub them furiously to gather some warmth.

Her emerald eyes scanned the school grounds slowly. The atmosphere seemed even colder than when she had arrived that morning, she was still convinced that it would snow by the end of the day. Finally her gaze landed on the wall where Tsumi would normally be waiting for her, but to the redhead's disappointment, there was no one there.

Hahen shivered in the cold and he sneezed loudly, which brought Muzai out of her concentration. She looked over at the shaking boy and he forced a small smile on his lips to show that he was okay. He cleared his throat quickly and his hands began to search his jeans' pockets frantically.

"Umm... My U-uncle suggested that we trade n-numbers... Do you have a p-phone?" Hahen asked shyly. His voice trembled slightly and he pulled out a small black phone from his pocket with shaking hands.

Muzai smiled and reached for her own pocket, but stopped midway. If what she thought had really occurred the previous night, then her phone would be in a million pieces by now. She began to withdraw her hand from her pocket slowly and bit her lip guiltily when she saw the shine in Hahen's eye fade.

"I'm sorry. My phone was... Well... I left my phone at home." Muzai said quickly with a small smile on her face.

Hahen nodded slowly and put the phone back in his pocket. He began to pick nervously at his bandages and looked off in the distance to avoid Muzai's gaze. The redhead looked back at the wall and then back at Hahen.

"Have you got someone to walk you home, Memori-kun?" Muzai asked with a small smile as she pulled her sleeves over her hands to keep them warm.

Hahen looked at the redhead quickly and then his eye looked down to the frosty floor and he shivered again, "My Uncle said he'd t-take me home." The dark-haired boy replied.

"Okay then," Muzai said lightly and looked off towards the dorms, "I have to go now. Bye, Memori-kun." She added and waved as she began to walk away.

"Bye.." Hahen whispered into the cold air and waved with a shaking hand to the redhead.

* * *

Shinrai had been awaiting Muzai's return nervously. She had sent the young redhead a few texts and even called once, but there was no reply. She gave a long sigh of relief when she heard the door open and Muzai walked into the living room.

"I called your mobile, but there was no reply. You had me worried." Shinrai said and awkwardly walked over to the young redhead.

Muzai frowned and watched as her Aunt managed to walk over to her in her casts. Soon they would be removed and the redhead was certain that her Aunt would spend her first day of freedom in going to the shops and stacking up on wine and sake.

"I'm sorry, I... Lost my phone the over day." Muzai lied quickly and walked by her Aunt.

Shinrai quickly grabbed Muzai's wrist gently and pulled her over to the sofa. She sat her down and then sat herself beside the young redhead. Muzai was nervous, she knew that Shinrai had suspected her of telling lies. The older woman took a deep breath in and sat straight, with her head high.

"Muzai... Is there anything you haven't been telling me?" She asked and looked into her niece's eyes.

Muzai bit her lip and looked away from Shinrai's face, "Not really. It's complicated.." She replied quietly.

"Is it about Tsumi?" Shinrai questioned with a stern voice.

Muzai took a deep breath in and turned back to meet her Aunt's face. She decided that now would be the best time to tell her a few things.

"Well.. Yeah. It's all about her. Ever since I met her, everything has changed." Muzai said. She felt like her eyes were about to overflow with tears, but she learnt a long time ago how to hold her tears in until no one was looking. Like she had done when she met up with her parents not too long ago.

"Has she done something to upset you?" Shinrai asked gently as she tilted her head to keep Muzai's gaze with her own.

"No.. Not exactly. But we.. Well.. We.." Muzai began to speak, but her words were slurred and she couldn't focus her tongue to make the words. She had wanted to tell her Aunt about what had happened in the park with Tsumi, but something told her that she shouldn't. As if what she had done with the other girl was unforgivable.

Shinrai gave a long sigh and leant back in the sofa. She covered her eyes with her hands and mumbled something to herself. Muzai raised an eyebrow slightly, her Aunt's persona had changed from strict to... Relieved?

"It's totally normal for teenagers to feel this way. It's just the way it goes." Shinrai said with a small smile and leant her head in her good hand.

"Really...? How are you sure this is the same thing...?" Muzai asked slowly and leant back in the seat with her Aunt. She began to relax and eased her way to get comfortable on the seat.

The older woman sighed again and put an arm around her niece's small shoulders. Muzai leant against her Aunt slightly and closed her eyes as she listened to the rhythm of the older woman's breathing.

"Have you ever heard of how I lost my ears?" Shinrai suddenly asked.

Muzai opened her eyes and looked up at her Aunt as she thought of a reply, "Mother and Father have always said that you had made a mistake and disgraced the Aiborī name." She said in a small voice, "But they never said anything about who it had been. But I don't believe them about it being a mistake, or how you could disgrace our family name. You're the best one out of the family, there's no way you could screw up." She added and closed her eyes again.

Shinrai sighed loudly and hung her head over the back of the sofa, "In that case, you have way too much faith in me." She muttered quietly.

Muzai lifted her head once more and frowned, "What do you mean?" She asked.

The older woman looked back down at the redhead and smiled weakly, "I lost my ears when I was your age. To my only friend. And it was the biggest mistake of my life." She said simply.

"I thought your childhood friend was Kako... I didn't know they were a boy." Muzai suddenly blurted. Her emerald eyes widened when she realised what her Aunt had been trying to tell her.

"Yes, it was Kako. And _she was_ my childhood friend." Shinrai replied with a smile.

Muzai sat up properly and stared at her Aunt as if she was a total stranger. She couldn't believe what she was hearing, "What happened?" Muzai asked with interest.

"Well... Your Father found out about Kako and I. He told our parents and they stopped me from seeing her. Everyone said that I was '_unclean_' and '_tainted_' my parents thought that they had raised me wrong and blamed the environment we lived in. It was truly pathetic," Shinrai explained with anger and sadness in her voice, "I never saw her again." She added quietly.

Muzai watched her Aunt with sympathy and awe. Shinrai Aiborī, the one person Muzai loved the most in the whole world. The one person whom she adored and idolised. The one person whom Muzai had always thought to be unbreakable.

And yet here she was, crying. It was first time Muzai ever saw her Aunt cry.

"I don't know how much Tsumi means to you. But don't let anyone stop you from changing your life. No one can decide how you should live, and no one can. I was a fool for letting everyone take Kako from me. You have to do what I never could." Shinrai said as she wiped a tear away from her cheek.

Muzai didn't say anything. Instead, she leapt into her Aunt's arms and hugged her tightly. Finally allowing the tears she had been holding back to flow down her face rapidly.

* * *

"No. You are not going to school tomorrow!" Rīdā stated and pushed Tsumi back down onto the sofa.

The silver-haired girl rolled her eyes and looked across the room. She had been arguing with Rīdā for the past hour about whether or not she would be leaving the house the next day. The older girl had been bandaging Tsumi's awkwardly twisted leg while the silver-haired girl lay down on the sofa in the living room. She had thought of a good excuse for somehow destroying every muscle and bone in her leg, but with the constant noises coming from Migi and Hidari's video game, the occasional flipping of pages from Shizuka's book and Rīdā shouting at her; made her forget most of the details.

"It'll be fine by tomorrow. I can't skip school because of an injury." Tsumi said bluntly and crossed her arms over her chest.

Rīdā stopped bandaging the wound for a second and shot a glare at the younger girl. Tsumi tried to avoid her gaze as she predicted another outburst from her housemate.

"It's not just any bloody injury, Tsumi! Who knows how many ligaments you've damaged! It will not heal by tomorrow, and you're not leaving until I say so!" She breathed in deeply and chewed on the lollipop in her mouth to calm her down slightly, "Honestly, it looks like you go hit by a bus." She added and went back to dressing the wound.

Tsumi groaned loudly and put her arm over her head limply, "You have no idea." She muttered quietly and closed her eyes.

Rīdā professionally finished her work and then sighed deeply as she rubbed the back of her neck and took out the finished lolli-stick from her mouth. She picked up the first aid box she had been using and placed it on the kitchen counter before returning to Tsumi with a glass of water and a tablet.

"Take this. It'll ease the pain." She ordered and held out the glass towards the silver-haired girl.

"Don't need it." Tsumi replied bluntly. She hadn't opened her eyes, or moved from her relaxed position as the older girl stood over her.

"Tsumi, this isn't a game. Take the damn pain killer!" Rīdā snapped as she thrusted the drink towards the younger girl.

Tsumi opened her eyes and her unique gaze darted up to Rīdā's face. She captured her blue glare and held it, showing how determined she was.

"I'm not taking it. I can handle the pain." Tsumi stated and grabbed the glass of water, but left the tablet untouched. She downed the glass and then handed it back to the dark-haired girl before returning to her relaxed position.

Rīdā flinched with annoyance and threw the tablet across the room, along with the empty glass. The room grew uneasy with tension. Shizuka tried to keep his head fixed on the book he read and leant further into his chair in the corner of the room. Migi and Hidari went quiet but continued to play their video game on the large TV monitor, although the excitement had worn away.

The only person who hadn't reacted was Tsumi, who stayed in her relaxed position; frozen like a photograph.

"Why do you do this to me Tsumi?!" Rīdā yelled and grabbed at the silver-haired girl's shoulders and began to shake her, "Everyday I wait for you to come home and I can only hope that you return in one piece. Whatever life you used to live, it's over now! You have us! It had been ages since you ended up with so much as a scratch on your cheek, but then as soon as High School started up again you came home with severe burns all over your back! And then I find you in the front garden, unable to climb the damn steps because you had been shot! And then you go and punch the mirror and hurt yourself!" She yelled frantically.

Tsumi continued to keep her eyes shut as the older girl shook her roughly. She didn't even struggle.

"And then this 'Muzai' comes along. You could have not answered that phone call last night, we could have stayed home and..." Rīdā cut her words short as she realised that other people were still present in the room.

Migi and Hidari paused their game to listen in on what Rīdā had to say. Even Shizuka had stopped reading his book and was looking towards the two girl's direction.

"Stayed home and what...?" Hidari asked loudly after a moment of silence.

Rīdā ignored her cousin and released Tsumi's shoulders. She slowly kneelt down to the floor and put her head on the silver-haired girl's stomach.

"As soon as you left last night to see Muzai... You come back home with this..." She muttered, pointing towards Tsumi's bandaged leg, "... Everyday is hard for me because I have to keep wondering whether you'll actually come home. Everyday, I have to try not to think about you coming home dead." She mumbled into Tsumi's stomach sadly.

Tsumi opened her eyes slowly and gently placed her hand on Rīdā's head. Sometimes she forgot how many people she actually hurt physically.

And mentally.


	15. Wrath

Author's Notes

The story's getting more intense, wouldn't you say? I feel bad for poor Muzai sometimes, it'd suck to be her!

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Loveless.

* * *

Tsumi sighed deeply and ran her fingers through her silver hair. She had been awake for the past hour and had watched the sun come up through the small window in the kitchen from the sofa in the living room. She had slept for a few hours but she wasn't tired, she was concerned. There was no doubt that Miryoku would return for herself and Muzai.

And that's why she needed to get out of the house, without anyone knowing.

She sat up slowly and glanced around the room. She knew she had to be very quiet in order to exit the house without anyone knowing. Migi and Hidari's room was located to the right of the front door, and Shizuka's room was the small cupboard under the stairs, while Rīdā's room was set in-between the stairs and the twins' room. And her door was open.

Tsumi gently set her hands on her bandaged leg and whispered something. She had always known the spell for healing, but she never practiced it often enough to actually master it. Which meant that even if she casted the spell; the wound wouldn't fully heal. But at least it would be bearable enough to walk on.

After her spell was complete, Tsumi lifted herself off of the sofa, grabbed her shoes, and limped over to the front door. She froze temporarily when she heard Rīdā's bed creak. The silver-haired girl expected her housemate to come bolting out of her room and pin her to the floor, but nothing happened.

Tsumi let out a sigh of relief and crept towards the door once more, she grabbed her coat from it's hook and slipped it on before exiting the building. She sat on the concrete stairs and slipped her shoes on carefully as she breathed in the cold, crisp, air. It had been snowing the previous night and the neighbourhood was now coated with a sheet of thin white.

Tsumi stared at the cold floor for a few moments before standing up and slowly made her way down the road to start her daily routine.

It always took around fifteen minutes for Tsumi to reach the school. But she had left a lot earlier than usual because she knew how slow she'd be walking, and so it took at least an hour to reach the school grounds. She walked into the building and slowly made her way up the stairs to the second floor where her first class was. Any student who passed by would quickly speed away from her. But Tsumi was far too used to being avoided to actually care.

She suddenly stopped in her tracks when she felt a stinging sensation shot through her head. She clenched her teeth and her eyes darted around the hallway in search of the intruder. The aura didn't feel as strong as Miryoku's had, it seemed weaker. Lots weaker.

And then she saw him and her mouth dropped with surprise and doubt. He was walking around a corner and he suddenly stopped once he saw Tsumi. They held each other's gaze for a moment.

Before Tsumi darted out towards him.

"No, no, no, no." Tsumi heard him repeat as he turned around and began to run away.

He turned around quickly and tripped up clumsily, he immediately scrambled around on the floor and darted away from the silver-haired girl as fast as his legs would carry him. But he was no match for Tsumi's speed. He quickly ran down a nearby staircase and missed out each step two-by-two. Tsumi didn't let him escape and she acted quickly by jumping over the railing of the stairway and landed in front of her opponent before he could clear the stairs.

He fell backwards from fright and Tsumi pinned him down quickly by grabbing his arm with one hand and digging her knees into his stomach. He cried out loudly and whimpered with fear, but he didn't struggle. In fact, he gave into her restraining completely.

"Memori Hahen. I never expected they'd send you." Tsumi growled darkly.

Hahen whimpered once more and closed his eye tightly, "I'm not here on anyone's b-behalf! No-one s-sent me!" He cried out desperately.

Luckily for Tsumi, there had been no other students around, so no one could disturb them or separate them.

Tsumi leant in closer towards the younger boy's face and frowned slightly, she examined his fragile face and trembling body before sighing and realeasing her grip on his arm. Hahen gulped and he opened his eye to look up at the silver-haired girl.

"Kokutan-sama, why is e-everyone after you?" He asked quietly, his voice had began to tremble just as his body had.

Tsumi ignored his question and she stood up, taking Hahen's elbow as she did so, "Come with me." She commanded and dragged the younger boy off of the stairs and onto his feet in one quick motion.

To Hahen's surprise, Tsumi had taken him to the school's infirmary. Upon entering the room, the Nurse looked up over his small spectacles which sat on the end of his nose and he raised an eyebrow.

"I didn't think you came to me anymore, Kokutan." He muttered and went back to reading the book he held.

"I'm not the one who needs assistance." Tsumi replied simply and pushed Hahen in front of her.

The dark-haired boy stumbled into the room and jumped slightly when he heard the door behind him close. He began to grow nervous and started to pick at his bandages.

The Nurse looked back up from his book and his red eyes landed on Hahen. The older man stared at him for a moment and then finally sighed and closed his book before walking the nervous boy over to one of the beds. Tsumi followed and sat herself down on the other bed.

"He's from the Academy." She stated bluntly.

The Nurse had began to raise his hand to Hahen's face, but stopped once he heard Tsumi's words. He quickly withdrew his hand and shot a glare towards the silver-haired girl, "I told you, I'm not getting involved with _them_ anymore! I quit for a reason!" He stated angrily.

Tsumi looked away from the older man's red gaze and her eyes landed on the small window to her left. She watched as snow began to fall slowly and soon the window became coated in small snowflakes.

"He needs help. He was one of Gekido-sensei's experiments." Tsumi replied bluntly, she held no expression in her face or words, "Please, Yūjin."

Hahen gulped again and looked up at the red-eyed man. Yūjin sighed deeply and pulled up a chair and began to undress Hahen's wounds.

The younger boy kept quiet the whole time. He wasn't entirely sure why Tsumi had trusted him so easily, nor why she had brought him to be cleaned up.

"Is this the Academy's way of evolution?" Yūjin muttered to himself as he began to remove Hahen's eyepatch.

The younger boy winced slightly as he felt the cold air hit his wound. He took a deep breath in as the Nurse began to inspect his eye with his fingers gently.

Tsumi had turned away from the window to look at Hahen's wound too. She wanted to know how violent the Academy had gotten since she left, and it only sickened her as she gazed onto the fragile boy's wounds.

Hahen's right eye, which he had concealed, had been badly treated. It had been sown shut with clearly bad stitching skills and the surface of the skin around the area had turned purple and bright red. It was swollen and oozing, and looked incredibly painful.

Tsumi couldn't stand to stare at it any longer and she quickly averted her gaze elsewhere, "Who did that to you?" She asked with an emotionless voice.

Hahen blinked with his good eye in surprise. He turned his head to look at the silver-hair girl and then brought his gaze back to Yūjin's hard stare. He gulped before replying.

"It was... The l-last fight I had before l-leaving... I don't know w-who it was," His voice was nervous and scared, "They n-never told me my opponent's n-names." He added quietly.

Yūjin shook his head with disbelief and retrieved a pair of cutting tools for the stitches digging into Hahen's skin, "One of the reasons I left was because of their sick ways. How could they possibly get away with this?" He spoke out, mostly to himself, as he carefully began to cut away the stitching.

Tsumi sighed deeply and fell back onto the bed as she began to recall the memories of being in the Academy. She closed her eyes and allowed the thoughts to cloud her mind.

When Tsumi had attended the Seven Voices Academy, she had heard about the experiments that some of the teachers had begun. Gekido had been the first to experiment with a student, he began to gather Sacrifices and practiced spells on them to see how effective each spell was. It didn't matter to him whether the spell was life-threatening or whether it would simply give you nothing more than a sore throat, it was all the same to him. But then his small experiments grew worse and became something the other teachers would keep their own students away from. Tsumi remembered seeing students of Gekido appear one day, and disappear the next. While other students of his returned with scars, bruises, burns and other various injuries. The Seven Moons finally put a stop to it once Gekido had stopped using his healing powers on his students, he had said that they would become better 'specimens' if they remained scarred. Tsumi was glad that she wasn't Gekido's student, she was happy to be with her own Sensei.

Her Sensei. The man who, now as of today, seemed to be chasing her over the world.

Tsumi came out of her thoughts just as Yūjin had finished removing the stitches around Hahen's eye. She sat up slowly and stared back at the dark-haired boy.

"I thought the Seven Moons had ended Gekido-sensei's experiments. Those wounds look fairly recent." Tsumi said simply.

Yūjin nodded and slowly inspected the wound further, "I think Gekido continued to conduct his experiments in secret. Began kidnapping innocent students off of the streets, that's what I heard." He said bluntly and carefully opened Hahen's swollen eye.

Hahen yelped loudly and bit his lip as his wounded eye reopened. He somehow managed to keep himself from attacking the Nurse out of instinct and eventually the pain ceased. Tsumi looked away from the scene once more and tried not to think of how terrible the Academy she had attended was. She had forgotten all about its cruelty and sickness.

"How did you come to be in Gekido's possession?" Yūjin asked after he had dressed the damaged eye once again with a clean eyepatch.

"G-Gekido-sensei had me t-transferred from my o-other Sensei..." Hahen replied quietly.

Tsumi looked back at the young boy's face, "How was he able to do such a thing?" She asked with a frown.

Hahen gulped and winced as Yūjin began to remove his bandages, "He.. B-bribed my Sensei into g-giving me up.." He replied with a sad tone.

Tsumi felt a rage inside her flare and make it's way to her mouth. But before she could allow herself to snap, she took a deep breath in and relaxed. She laid herself back down on the bed and didn't say anything more about the situation.

"They'll send Sentouki to search for you." Yūjin stated after he had finished redressing all of Hahen's wounds.

"I know... I.. I c-can't defend myself without a S-senouki..." Hahen replied nervously and traced his fingers across the new bandages.

"I'm sure Kokutan will see to that." Yūjin said simply and began to put his tools away.

Hahen's eye widened suddenly, "I don't want to be a b-burden on Kokutan-sama!" He blurted frantically.

Tsumi hopped off of the bed and walked over to the younger boy, she caught his yellow gaze with her own multi-coloured and held out a hand to help him down.

"Don't worry. You'll be safe with me." She said with an expressionless tone.

Hahen gulped and looked from Tsumi to Yūjin. He hesitated for a moment before taking the older girl's hand and allowed her to help him off of the bed. He thanked her gratefully and walked out of the room quickly. Tsumi began to follow but Yūjin stopped her.

"He's looking for you." He said simply.

Tsumi knew full well who he meant. She stopped in her tracks and kept her back to him.

"He won't get me." She replied coldly.

Yūjin smirked at her confidence and ran a hand through his blonde hair, "He told me that Himitsu's dead." He stated slowly.

Tsumi felt a cold pain in her chest at his words. She bit her lip and closed her eyes as she steadied her breathing, she didn't reply to the older man.

Instead she left the room, leaving a trail of mourning in her wake.


	16. Friend

Author's Notes

It seems as though Tsumi has temporarily stolen the spotlight. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Loveless.

* * *

_Himitsu... Dead...?_

Tsumi snapped her eyes open suddenly once she felt a shaking hand on her arm. She had reacted quickly to the touch and slapped at the owner of the hand, she had been too dazed to realise that it had been Hahen.

The dark-haired boy yelped and tripped backwards at the sudden attack, he collided with the canvas' in the room and tried to grab ahold of an easel to steady himself, but the object only fell to the ground along with him.

Tsumi sighed deeply and sat up from her chair, she marched over to her companion and moved the easel off of him.

"Forgive m-me... Kokutan-sama..!" Hahen cried out frantically and scrambled onto his feet.

The silver-haired girl simply nodded and began to move the objects, which Hahen had fallen over, back into place. The classroom had been empty for the past hour and neither Tsumi, nor Hahen, had bothered to go to their next class.

Tsumi moved slowly back to her desk and sat down quietly. She focused her eyes towards the floor and let her mind wonder about the latest events. Hahen nervously bit his lip and glanced from the silver-haired girl to the artwork in the room. He found the creations of other people's minds interesting and spent most of the silence just staring at a particular piece.

The picture wasn't very large, but it wasn't small either. It was a medium sized painting. The entire surface had been covered in a pitch-black shade, but there was a small dot of white in the centre. And the more Hahen's eye stared at the painting, the more he realised the images in the dark. He could see a town lined with many buildings, there were many faces too. Everything seemed so peaceful and every face was smiling.

"It's called 'Hope' " Tsumi muttered.

Hahen jumped, blinked suddenly, and much to his disappointment; he could no longer see the images in the dark painting. He sighed loudly and stepped over to sit in the seat beside Tsumi.

They shared a moment's silence and Hahen nervously began to pick at his clean bandages. Finally, Tsumi spoke.

"Memori-kun, I'd like to ask you something." She said bluntly into the air.

Hahen looked over at the silver-haired girl and tilted his head slightly, "O-of course, Kokutan-sama.." He replied in a nervous tone.

Tsumi groaned and lent back in her chair, "Has Sensei been acting... Different lately?" She asked quietly.

Hahen was silent for a moment as he thought of a reply, he nervously shuffled around in his chair and looked down at the desk he sat at, "Well... There a-are a lot of Sensei's in the Academy... Which do you m-mean?" He stuttered and tried to avoid the silver-haired girl's unique gaze.

"You know which one I mean." Tsumi stated darkly with impatience.

Hahen shuddered in fright and gulped before turning his head back to his companion, "He's... Changed..." He replied quietly.

Tsumi held Hahen's yellow gaze for a few moments before slowly looking away, she began to stare down at the white tiled floor. Her mind began to blank and she made a fist.

"How? What's happened?" She questioned with a monotoned voice.

"He... H-he's locked himself inside his room... He hasn't been s-seen since... Since..." Hahen had started, but he couldn't find the words to finish.

"Since Himitsu died." Tsumi spoke up, finishing his sentence. She had said it like a statement more than an answer.

Hahen nodded grimly and closed his eye tightly, as if to hold back the flowing images of paint and creations in the room. He breathed deeply before reopening it and nervously began to scratch the surface of his desk.

"I have no time for mourning." Tsumi finally stated and stood up from her seat. She moved quickly and walked over to the classroom's exit, she pulled the door open in a swift movement and stepped out into the hallway.

Hahen quickly sat up and followed the silver-haired girl. Even when Tsumi was casually walking, it seemed as though she was jogging. The dark-haired boy struggled to keep his pace beside the older girl and he was soon out of breath by the time they reached the cafeteria.

The two walked into the room and was greeted by many stares mixed with curiosity and surprise.

Tsumi ignored the many eyeballs on her, but Hahen didn't seem to block them out as easily and he hid behind Tsumi quickly. The silver-haired girl didn't react to the younger boy's actions, she just continued to order her food and grab a tray.

Hahen ordered for himself too, his voice was shy and quiet and he had to repeat himself three times before his order was taken. As the two waited for their meals, Hahen's yellow eye glanced around the room and stopped on a familiar face.

"Kokutan-sama... Can we s-sit next to h-her..?" The dark-haired boy asked nervously and pointed a bandaged finger towards a girl who sat by herself.

Tsumi's hard stare looked to where Hahen had been pointing and then her eyes softened. She smirked slightly at the image of the redhead sitting alone, eating her food innocently.

"Of course. That sounds ideal." Tsumi replied, not taking her eyes off of the redhead.

Hahen smiled to himself and he gratefully accepted his food once it was handed to him, he quickly followed Tsumi over to the small table and nervously watched the two talk.

"Muzai." Tsumi said in her usual unreadable tone.

The young redhead stopped eating and looked up to the older girl's face. Her emerald eyes shone with happiness and she let a smile creep onto her lips.

"May we join you?" Tsumi asked and stepped aside to reveal Hahen, who had been hiding behind the silver-haired girl.

Muzai looked confused and surprised. Her emerald eyes looked from Tsumi to Hahen and she shook her head suddenly, "Of course you can join... Take a seat..!" She blurted.

Tsumi pulled a chair from an unoccupied table and sat down calmly. Hahen set his shaking tray onto the small table before pulling up a seat for himself beside Tsumi.

"I had no idea that you two knew each other." Muzai said aloud once the two had begun to eat.

Hahen nervously nibbled at his meal and looked towards Tsumi, hoping that she'd do all the talking for him.

"We knew each other years ago. Hahen has been away for a long time, but now he's back." The silver-haired girl explained simply and took a mouthful of rice.

Muzai raised an eyebrow and looked between the two once more. She had wanted to speak to Tsumi about Miryoku, but she didn't feel confident around Hahen. So instead she just talked to Tsumi normally, well as normal as Tsumi and her got, and the three continued to eat their meal together.

Tsumi had parted ways with Hahen and Muzai after their meal and went up to the roof of the school. She needed answers and there was only one place she could get them from.

Miryoku hadn't lied when he had claimed to have given Sensei Tsumi's number. He had already phoned her once, but she hadn't picked up. She had saved the number however.

Tsumi climbed out onto the roof and opened up her phone, she hesitated at first but eventually summoned the courage to press 'call'. She brought the mobile to her ear and breathed in the bitter cold air.

The phone barely rang before someone picked up.

"Hello?" The voice was smooth, dark and slightly seductive. Just as Tsumi remembered.

"Sensei..." Tsumi whispered in a breathless voice. She seemed to have forgotten everything she had planned to say.

"Tsumi...? Don't hang up, there's something you need to know!" He replied, his voice sounded frantic and desperate.

Tsumi lowered her multi-coloured gaze and stared down at the ground below her.

"Sensei... Yūjin told me... About Himitsu..." She said quietly, somehow her confidence felt drained, "Why are you still chasing me if he's gone?" She added.

"Tsumi.." The dark voice replied, he sounded tired and hurt. Almost defeated, "It's out of my control now. More will come for you, and they won't stop until they bring you back." He stated.

Tsumi smiled slightly with disappointment, she walked closer to the corner of the building and stood up onto the edge. She closed her eyes slowly and allowed the falling snowflakes to brush against her face.

"You're not the Sensei I knew..." She whispered simply and allowed the phone to slip out of her pale hand.

She watched the device fall through the air and shatter on the ground.

But somehow that didn't make the silver-haired girl feel any easier.


	17. Shard

Author's Notes.

This chapter doesn't have a lot of action in it. But it is important, for Muzai anyway. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Loveless.

* * *

Muzai had spent the remainder of the day with the company of both Tsumi and Hahen. The redhead enjoyed it overall, despite the fact she desperately wanted to talk to Tsumi in private. Hahen had parted ways with the two girls once Merodī had finished for the day and took the young boy home, leaving Muzai alone with Tsumi.

The redhead looked down at the cold concrete as she walked beside the older girl, she could feel an unsettling vibe coming from the silver-haired girl and was too worried to speak up.

Tsumi bit her lip and looked over to the younger girl beside her, "When did you meet Hahen?" She asked in monotone.

"We only met yesterday." The redhead replied and slipped her cold hands into the large fluffy coat she wore.

"Has he told you anything about himself?" Tsumi questioned slowly.

Muzai raised an eyebrow and looked up at Tsumi's multi-coloured gaze, "No. He doesn't really speak a lot. I just know that he's Merodī-sensei's nephew and that he hasn't been in Tokyo for a while." She stated through chattering teeth.

Tsumi smiled and stood closer to the shivering redhead. She laced her arm around Muzai's shoulders and pulled her in closely as they continued to walk.

Muzai blushed frantically at the older girl's touch and gulped before leaning in towards her, "Aren't you cold?" Muzai asked after a moment of silence.

"Not really." Tsumi replied bluntly.

Muzai took her eyes off of the silver-haired girl and looked down towards the floor once again. She sighed and summoned the courage to finally ask the questions she had been waiting to ask.

"Tsumi... Who is Miryoku? And why did he try to... Hurt me...?" She asked nervously.

Tsumi's eyes were cold and fearful as she let the redhead's words linger in the cold air. She looked off towards the distance and stopped in her tracks. Muzai stopped too and slipped away from Tsumi's arm and stood before the silver-haired girl.

They shared a moment's silence before Tsumi's unique gaze fell upon Muzai's face.

"He's from the Academy I used to attend." The silver-haired girl replied simply.

"The one in Kanagawa?" Muzai asked quietly.

Tsumi's eyes darted from Muzai's face briefly and she breathed in the cold air deeply, "Yes." She replied bluntly.

Muzai tilted her head to the side to keep the older girl's gaze, "What kind of Academy is it?" She asked, her voice had become steady and curious.

Tsumi captured Muzai's emerald gaze and held it in a cold stare, "It's an Academy for training specific types of people." She stated simply.

"What kind of people?" Muzai continued.

"Muzai, please, I don't want to have to explain this in the street." Tsumi said with a loud groan.

Muzai frowned and pouted slightly, she grabbed Tsumi's arm and began to drag her towards her dorm which was only a few feet away, "Then you can explain it to me inside! I don't want to keep being chased by people and not know why!" She stated loudly.

Tsumi didn't resist as the redhead dragged her along. She knew that she would have to tell Muzai at some point.

The redhead opened the door and quickly shoved Tsumi inside, she closed the door behind her and quickly dragged the silver-haired girl towards her bedroom. Luckily for the redhead, they didn't have to walk through the living room because the front door led into the hallway and her bedroom was the first door on the right. She quietly opened her bedroom door and pushed Tsumi inside before following and closing the door with a soft '_click._

Tsumi sat down on Muzai's bed calmly and crossed her legs. She looked around the room with her multi-coloured eyes and took in the room's furniture and appearance. Muzai sighed and removed her large, fluffy, coat and threw it on the bed beside Tsumi.

"Why are they after me?" She asked after a moment of silence.

Tsumi looked back up at the other girl and gave a long sigh. She began to remove the silver scarf around her neck, along with her hat and coat, and closed her eyes briefly.

"It's not just you they want." She said simply.

Muzai looked towards the ground and hugged herself, she felt her stomach ache for some reason. She didn't need this in her life.

"Who are they?" The redhead whispered. She kept her emerald eyes fixed on the floor as she spoke.

"They're a special type of people who are able to conduct spells through words," Tsumi explained slowly as she gently took Muzai's arm and pulled her closer, "The Academy I used to attend was to train people like me." She added.

Muzai looked up at Tsumi and allowed the older girl to hold her hand and pull her onto the bed and lay beside her.

"People like you?" Muzai whispered with confusion.

"Sentouki," Tsumi replied quietly and laid down beside the redhead, "We are given the ability to fight through spells." She said and looked up at the ceiling.

Muzai turned to lay on her side and stared at Tsumi's pale, unreadable, face.

"How does it work? How can people fight with... Words and spells?" The younger girl asked slowly. Despite how bizarre the whole thought seemed, Muzai didn't doubt Tsumi for a moment. Somehow she _knew_ that this wasn't a lie.

"Magic would be the wrong word for it," Tsumi muttered and laced her fingers through Muzai's small hand, "It's supernatural. The unknowing."

Muzai gulped at the word 'unknowing' and sighed quietly. She tightened her grip on Tsumi's hand and inched closer to her.

"How did it happen?" She asked with a small frown.

Tsumi glanced away from the ceiling and looked at Muzai. She then turned to lay on her side and held the younger girl's emerald gaze, "We get taken to an Academy known as 'The Seven Voices Academy' and are selected by one of the members of the 'Seven Moons'. Then we train our skills until one day, we meet our Sacrifice." She replied quietly.

Muzai noticed that Tsumi hadn't answered the question directly, but she didn't want to spoil her luck and shut the other girl up. So she asked a different question instead;"What's a Sacrifice?"

"They are partners for Sentouki. They don't have the ability to conduct spells like we do. However, they do _own_ the Sentouki's movements in battle." Tsumi replied and gently pushed a lock of red-hair behind Muzai's ear.

"What do you mean _own_?." Muzai whispered as her cheeks flushed a light pink.

"They tell the Sentouki what to do. It's like a 'Servant, Master' deal. And the Sentouki's power is doubled if they fight with a Sacrifice." Tsumi replied quietly.

"I think I understand," Muzai said as her eyes darted from Tsumi's blue-brown eye, to her green-yellow eye, "But why are these people after us?" She added.

Tsumi smirked slightly and traced her finger along the other girl's cheek, "They want me to go back to the Academy. And they think that you're the reason I won't go back." She replied in monotone.

"So they want to get rid of me...?" Muzai whispered. She felt her heart skip slightly, she didn't know whether it was from Tsumi's touch or the words she spoke.

"Yes." The silver-haired girl replied bluntly.

Muzai gulped and turned to lay on her back, breaking the eye-contact and stared up at the ceiling. She took a deep breath in and closed her eyes tightly, "Why do they want you back, Tsumi?" She asked after a moment of silence.

Tsumi sat up then, she loosened her grip on Muzai's hand and her face tightened slightly.

"There are some things you can know," She said sternly and looked over her shoulder at Muzai's face, "And there are some things that are better left unsaid." She added and sat up from the bed.

Muzai watched in silence as the silver-haired girl retrieved her scarf, hat and coat and walk over to the door.

"Tsumi... If they're going to keep sending people after us... Who can we trust?" The redhead asked suddenly before Tsumi could reach the door handle.

The older girl blinked a few times and slowly looked back at Muzai, "You can't trust anyone. Not even me." She said coldly.

Muzai gulped and stood up slowly, "What about Merodī-sensei? And Memori-kun?" She asked suddenly.

"Merodī is oblivious to the Academy, as far as I know. And Hahen... Hahen used to attend the Academy. He is a sacrifice, and sooner or later his Sentouki will come looking for him. But he's not a threat," Tsumi replied and turned back to the door, "Just don't let your guard down. I will protect you from them." She added and left the room.

Muzai didn't bother replying, she didn't even bother to walk out with the older girl. She had gained the answers she had been looking for, and know she knew most of the reasons as to why she was being hunted. But it didn't make anything easier on the redhead. In fact, it only made things worse.

She had to keep her eyes out for anything that could harm her? No one was to be trusted? How many people could the Academy send until they give up?

...Or will they continue to send people until their mission was complete?


	18. Strength

Author's Notes

I don't remember if I said whether or not Hahen had ears... I can't be asked to go back and check of I had said it or not. But just gunna say now that he _does_ have ears. Probably a little scratched up and ruffled, but he does have them. And his tail is all fluffly and cute! (Normally half wrapped up in a bandage though.)

Disclaimer: I don't own Loveless.

* * *

Muzai didn't sleep well that night. She had nightmares about people from the Seven Voices Academy coming after her and ridding her of existence. She didn't know how she could get to school without suspecting anyone who gave her a second glance or bumped into her by accident. The redhead continued to toss and turn in her sleep until her alarm clock rang.

She sat up and yawned loudly before pulling herself off of the bed and grabbed and handful of clothes which were laying on the floor. She groggily opened the door of her bedroom and stepped out into the hallway, making her way to the bathroom and yawning once again.

She clumsily turned on the shower and washed herself down, she knew that today would most likely be a long one. Once she was finished and had turned the water off, she stepped back out and toweled herself dry, and then lazily pulled on her dark-coloured leggings and over-sized jumper. She stared at herself in the mirror for a moment and sighed loudly before running a comb through her long, vermilion, hair. Dark circles had formed under her eyes, and she didn't seem to have a lot of colour in her cheeks.

After she had dressed and brushed her teeth and hair, she made her way into the living room and into the kitchen where her Aunt was drinking coffee.

"Good morning." Shinrai said with a loud yawn and sipped on her drink.

"Good morning." Muzai replied and began making her lunch, as well as her breakfast.

"You look tired," Shinrai commented once the younger girl had finished making her bento box, "Did you have a bad night?"

Muzai gulped slightly and stuffed the box into her bag, she looked over at her Aunt and smiled, "I'm alright. I just got some things to take care of." She said happily.

Shinrai raised an eyebrow and continued to sip on her drink, but she nodded and broke the gaze with her niece, "Alright, I won't keep you here with my babbling and questioning." She said in a sleepy tone.

"Thank you." Muzai said quietly and gave her Aunt a quick kiss on the forehead. She waved a goodbye and walked out of the kitchen.

She made her way out of the dorm and shivered as the cold air hit her face. She began jogging towards the school and didn't take much care to look at the people passing by. Finally she reached the building's entrance and stepped inside, she felt a little bit safer and calmed down.

First class today was one that she hadn't attended before; Cooking. And unfortunately for the redhead, she didn't know where the room was, so she'd have to ask someone.

As if on queue, someone walked by. He seemed pretty harmless, his hair and ears were a dark shade of green and his eyes were a dull grey.

"Excuse me...?" Muzai muttered and stepped in front of the taller boy.

"Yes?" He replied and blinked a few times, as if he had been daydreaming and was suddenly bought back to reality.

"Do you know where the cooking class is?" The redhead asked nervously.

The taller boy blinked a few times and took in a deep breath before pointing off down a hall, "Down there, third door on your left." He stated glumly.

"Thank you." Muzai said with a small, grateful, smile and bowed.

The green-haired boy nodded and then walked off his own way. Muzai didn't waste anymore time and quickly headed towards the cooking class.

The redhead nervously stepped inside the room and looked around. There were counters scattered around the room and the room smelt of freshly baked bread.

She walked over to one of the empty counters and looked around at the students in the room. Most of them were paying attention to their own counters, except two. Muzai immediately guessed they were twins, their faces were identical, but their hair was a completely different colour to the other. One had cotton-candy pink and the other had bright-neon purple. Their eyes were the same shade of violet and they seemed to be staring straight at Muzai.

The redhead gasped and quickly looked away from them. She felt uncomfortable with their eyes on her back, and by now, all the other counters had been taken. So she couldn't move from her spot. She closed her eyes for a moment and clenched her fists briefly, they were probably from The Seven Voices Academy.

The door suddenly opened, making Muzai jump, and the teacher walked in and dropped a few things down on the large desk in the courner of the room. He was extremely tall and had a figure built of lean muscles. His eyes were a very bright colour of orange and his hair was a shiny colour of deep brown, with light red tints in the strands. He had no ears. He looked like he had just woken up, he stretched quickly and crossed his arms before leaning against the large desk and looked over at his students.

"Alright, kids," He began, his voice seemed foreign and he sounded tired, "It's the usual routine. Pick a partner, get the ingredients, cook the ingredients, make something nice." He said. He seemed either eager to leave, or he was just really laid-back.

Muzai didn't like hearing the word 'partner', she looked around the room with a small frown and watched as other students began pairing up. Someone glanced over her way and she gulped sightly, but the door suddenly opened again and someone came -fell- into the room.

"Ah, Memori Hahen. Your Uncle said you were back in Tokyo." The teacher mumbled and looked down at the younger boy who was now picking himself of the ground.

"I'm sorry... Jamu-sensei...I-I didn't mean to be l-late." Hahen stuttered as he stood up and almost fell back down again.

The older man, Jamu, rolled his eyes and sighed deeply, "That's fine. Just go and pick a partner." He said simply.

Hahen nodded and nervously looked around the room, his eye beamed with happiness when he saw Muzai. He quickly walked over to her and nervously asked if he could be her partner.

"Of course Hahen-kun." She said with a wide smile. She knew that he had come from the Academy, but she trusted Tsumi that he wasn't a threat.

Hahen blushed nervously. Muzai guessed it was because she had addressed him by his first name, but she decided that they were friends and should treat each other as such.

Gathering the ingredients wasn't hard, but trying to make the food was. They had to make a loaf of bread in under an hour and a half. And it was quite hard to do. Muzai kneaded the dough while Hahen read what to do. They worked well as a team and the redhead was confident that the bread would surely come out well.

"Jamu-senesi~~" A voice hummed from behind Muzai.

The redhead looked over her shoulder to see the mysterious twins raising their hands.

"What?" Jamu replied with a groan.

The pink-haired twin crossed their arms before replying, "What do you do when the butter's gone?"

Jamu raised an eyebrow and placed his hands on his hips, "Where exactly did it go?" He asked slowly.

The twins shared a look and the pink-haired one began sucking food out of their teeth and avoided Jamu's eyes. The classroom began to laugh quietly and the twins smiled to themselves.

"Hitoshi Hidari-" Jamu began, but was cut off by the pink-haired twin.

"I'm not Hidari. I'm Migi, that's Hidari." They stated and pointed to their purple-haired partner.

Hidari simply waved like a fool and the classroom erupted in laughter. Even Muzai and Hahen were having a hard time holding their own laughter.

"Whichever one you are. I hope you're aware of how much butter you've devoured, you can get seriously ill if you eat too much." Jamu said with annoyance once the laughter had ceased.

"Jamu-sensei, we live with our cousin. And with her cooking, I'd say we're pretty much dead either way." Hidari said through fits of giggles.

"Carry on like this and you'll be dead before you leave the classroom." Jamu muttered under his breath and continued to time his students.

Muzai and Hahen quickly returned to making their bread and tried to drown out the laughter and crude humour behind them.

After cooking class had ended and Muzai had finished her next class, lunchtime came around and she headed towards the cafeteria, but was stopped short when she heard some sort of brawl up ahead.

The redhead curiously peeked around a courner to see Hahen being pinned up against a wall. The boy who had him pinned was the same person who had given Muzai directions to the Cooking class.

"You thought you could outrun us, huh?" The green-haired boy spat in Hahen's face.

"N-no.. It's n-not like that!" Hahen whined and tried to escape the clutches of the older boy.

Someone else threw a punch at Hahen's stomach to shut him up. She was fairly small and had large lavender eyes and short scruffy ginger hair and ears.

"Gekido-sensei will be pleased with us, Tsuyo-kun!" She said in a high voice, addressing the boy who held Hahen.

"No doubt about it. I'm sure he'd love to have his little pet back home." Tsuyo said coldly and tightened his grip on Hahen.

Muzai was about to jump out from around the courner and defend Hahen, but someone jumped in front of her and stopped her from doing so.

"Tsumi?" The redhead whispered in surprise and watched the silver-haired girl stand up to Hahen's attackers.

"Yokoshinama Tsuyo and Kanpeki Supīdo. I was wondering when I'd see you two again." Tsumi said bluntly.

Tsuyo dropped Hahen and turned to face Tsumi. His grey eyes widened and he stepped back slightly.

"Kokutan Tsumi?" He whispered in shock.

Hahen used this distraction to escape and he ran around the courner and almost tripped over Muzai. The redhead grabbed him and pulled him to sit on the floor beside her and made a motion to be quiet before looking back around to see what would happen next.

"Stay out of this, Kokutan! Memori has nothing to do with you." Supīdo snapped and stepped closer to the silver-haired girl, but she almost jumped backwards in fright once Tsumi's unique gaze darted from Tsuyo to her.

"You didn't hear? Memori-kun and I are a unit now." Tsumi said cooly.

"That's impossible!" Tsuyo barked, catching the silver-haired girl's attention once again, "Memori's Sentouki is Gekido-sensei!" He declared.

Tsumi smiled and lazily flipped her hair over her shoulder, making her opponents flinch from fear as she raised her hand. She then began walking closer to them and spoke coldly;

"Did you know that people like Hahen-kun never had Sentouki. Your precious sensei is lying to you. Sacrifices like Hahen-kun were only used to toy with. Experiments, nothing more." Her gaze never ceased from the faces of the people in front of her.

"That's a lie!" Supīdo snapped and tried to hold the deathly glare.

"Oh really? If that's a lie then I suppose my next words will be too," Tsumi said in a fake-disappointed voice, "Gekido-sensei isn't even a Sentouki. He's a sacrifice." She stated bluntly.

"SHUT UP!" Tsuyo yelled and ran at the silver-haired girl.

Tsumi saw the punch coming and ducked slightly, she then knocked the green-haired boy in the gut with her shoulder, causing him to fall backwards. Supīdo came running up then, she was fast, very fast. But was still nothing compared to Tsumi.

The silver-haired girl ran towards the younger girl. At first it seemed they would both collide, but at the last second, Tsumi slide onto her knees and grabbed one of Supīdo's legs, causing her to fall flat on her face.

"Honestly, I thought Gekido-sensei was one of the best members of The Seven Moons. Surely his students aren't all this pathetic." Tsumi said bluntly and stood up from the ground.

She began walking back to where Muzai and Hahen were hiding, but Tsuyo grabbed at the end of her long coat and tugged hard.

"We declare a battle of spells..." He said in an angry tone.

There was a small silence in the air and a devious smile crept onto Tsumi's face.

"I accept." She said somewhat eerily.

In seconds the hallway changed atmosphere and turned pitch black. Tsumi pulled away from Tsuyo's grasp and jumped over to where Muzai and Hahen were.

"What?!" Supīdo screamed in anger, "TWO SACRIFICES?!"

Muzai and Hahen quickly got behind Tsumi and let out a deep breath of uneasiness.

"No. I'll be on auto." Tsumi said simply.

"Auto?! Are you mocking us?" Supīdo snapped.

"You do realise that if you're on auto; you're power will be reduced and you'll be fighting alone? It's two against one." Tsuyo stated, raising an eyebrow.

Tsumi cracked her knuckles and smiled to herself, "It's either two against one, or three against two." She said simply and threw an attack of sharp blows.

Tsuyo hadn't seen the attack coming and couldn't dodge it quick enough. They all missed him thankfully, but instead, they penetrated Supīdo. Shining chains appeared and engulfed her small arms and legs.

"Damn it!" She hissed and tried to stay on her feet, "Attack, attack, attack!" She cried angrily.

Tsuyo didn't hesitate, "Take her limbs and engulf them in darkness!" He conjured and sent a trail of dark mist across Tsumi's lean arms and legs.

"Piercing light, block out the darkness of my form and blind the enemy's sight." Tsumi countered, her voice remained calm and the darkness left her body and a shining light struck Tsuyo's face.

He screamed in pain and tried to cover his eyes from the light. And then returned with another attack, "Spears of agony, penetrate the opponent's heart!" He cried.

Tsumi flinched slightly and called up a defense shield. Most of the spears missed and reflected, but two managed to plunge themselves into the silver-haired girl's arm and side. Her wounds were replaced by shining chains which tightened around her and tried to stop her from moving.

"Blinding light, show the enemy no sight or sound!" Tsumi yelled, growing impatient.

Tsuyo was suddenly stunned, he couldn't see or hear anything. He felt something touch his arm and immediately conjured up a simple cutting attack, but was fooled by Tsumi's tricks and his attack struck Supīdo. He then felt chains engulf his body and he knew that the battle was over as soon as unbearable agony shot through his head and chest.

Muzai and Hahen closed their eyes as Tsumi finished off their opponents, and everything turned white.

* * *

Muzai groaned and rolled onto her side, she knocked someone over the head with her elbow and immediately sat up in surprise. Her emerald eyes glanced down to look at Hahen, whom she had just hit by accident. They were in the hallway where Tsuyo and Supīdo had began to attack Hahen, except, no one was there anymore. Apart from the redhead and her companion. The younger boy's eye fluttered open and he quickly jumped up to his feet.

"Kokutan-sama came and... It's all m-my fault!" He said in one quick rush of breath and held back tears.

Muzai stood up and put a hand on the smaller boy's shoulder. He quickly looked over at her and a small blush crept onto his face.

"Tsumi told me you're from the Academy." She said gently.

Hahen raised his eyebrows in surprise, "Kokutan-sama told you about the Academy?" He asked in shock.

Muzai nodded, "Kind of. She told me about Sentouki and Sacrifices. But she didn't tell me about what exactly happens there." She replied.

Hahen looked away from the redhead and his eye looked towards the ground, "Sometimes it's better not to know everything." He said quietly.

Muzai was surprised. That was the first time she could recall when Hahen hadn't stuttered in a sentence. And it made her feel slightly uneasy as to how he sounded so much like Tsumi.


	19. Distant

Author's Notes.

I never really expected to write this far into the story XD I thought I would have given up by now. I hope you're all still enjoying the story, R&R, feel free to ask any questions, (Unless it's to do with the plot of the story.) Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Loveless.

* * *

Muzai slowly made her way to her next class. Although, she wasn't too bothered about her education. She was far too focused on the two people who had come for Hahen. She seemed out of place in this crazy world, the only thing she can do without getting all frustrated and confused was play the piano. Which was exactly what she was intending on doing in her next class. She opened the door to the music room slowly and stepped inside, today, she was late. And that sent a few gasps around the classroom. Sure, everyone knew who she was in this class, she was teacher's pet, but no one actually liked her. They envied her if anything.

The redhead made her way to her usual seat and dropped her bag beside it before slumping down and getting comfortable.

Merodī had watched her walk in with a slightly concerned look in his yellow eyes. He expected her to look up at him to at least assure him that she was alright, but she did nothing but stare down at her desk.

"Alright class, today we're going to be working on..." Merodī's voice drifted into the aura of the room, along with the faces and presences around Muzai.

She hadn't intended to miss half of what he had been saying, but she just couldn't help it. As soon as she found Tsumi, she was going to... Well, that was the thing. She had asked all the questions she wanted, and she had received very bizarre answers. She only had herself to blame for being paranoid. But she couldn't decide whether she should blame herself, or blame Tsumi, for being a target of the Seven Voices Academy.

"Aiborī-san?" Merodī repeated for about the third time, only this time he got a reply.

"Yes, Merodī-sensei?" Muzai replied, suddenly blinking away her thoughts and paying full attention to the pink-haired man.

"Will you be composing your new piece for us?" Merodī asked gently.

Muzai blinked a few times and then picked up her bag and scrambled through it until she gathered a few pieces of paper and spread them out on her desk.

"Hahen-kun and I composed this together. I can't play it without him." The redhead suddenly spoke up.

Merodī frowned for a moment and quickly scanned through the papers on his desk, "I think he had an appointment in the Nurse's office. He'll be along soon enough." He said with a small sigh.

He then called up other students to play their own pieces and the room was soon full of light and heavy musical tunes. It was soothing and Muzai could finally stop and think for a moment about her situation. What could she possibly do to stop The Seven Moons from sending people from the Academy after her? Was it up to Tsumi as to whether or not to beat them all. Surely that would be impossible, Tsumi couldn't be the only Sentouki capable of taking down units over and over again. But Muzai suddenly stopped and sunk deeper into her thoughts, maybe that was precisely what she was.

Tsumi, the one Sentouki able to take down an army of Sentouki and Sacrifices with her eyes shut. It would be a good enough reason at to why they'd want her back. Before the redhead could think about the matter any further, the door suddenly opened and Hahen came rushing over to the empty seat beside her.

"Aiborī-san! Are you a-alright?" He asked in a frantic whisper.

Muzai frowned at the younger boy, "Hahen-kun, you look like you've seen a ghost. What's wrong?" She whispered back and leant closer towards him.

Hahen was about to reply, but Merodī suddenly came over to his desk and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"We were waiting for you to show. You and Muzai have to compose your piece for us all, we're very eager to hear it." He said with a warm smile.

Muzai could see how grateful Hahen was for his uncle's care and concern. His yellow eye lost the fright and unease and seemed to melt into something with more relief and peace. Muzai could relate to that. Hahen probably felt as safe with Merodī like she did with Shinrai.

The redhead walked with Hahen over to the large, grand, piano in the corner of the room and placed their music sheets on the sheet rack. She sat down on the left side and handled the low keys, while Hahen sat on the right and handled the high keys.

The melody started off slow; Muzai's fingers glided across the ivory and ebony keys delicately and Hahen built up the pace until it erupted in a sound of chiming rhythm and passionate sound. It had a tint of sadness in it. Almost like it was telling a story of death over life.

The piece lasted no more than five minutes, but the whole classroom was silent and they were so fixed on every note that it felt as thought it had been played forever. Despite the fact that most of the students didn't really like Muzai, they didn't doubt her passionate talent at all.

When the music slowed it's pace once again, and Muzai had played a small solo, followed by Hahen ending the tune with a final rush of speed and then slowed down for the last four notes. The whole classroom applauded for the two.

The redhead heard some say things like, "You'll be stars one day." and, "I've never known someone so talented.". She couldn't help but blush with embarrassment and grinned manically like a fool. Even Hahen had a wide smile plastered on his face.

Merodī was still clapping as he walked over to the piano. He stood behind the two and placed a friendly hand on either of their shoulders, making the two look up at his yellow eyes.

"Never before have I seen anyone like you two play so well together. It was no more than a few days you had began composing that piece and you played it like you've known it for years," He praised and gave their shoulders a quick squeeze, "I would like to congratulate it with you, tomorrow night perhaps?" He added.

Muzai's emerald eyes widened and she opened her mouth to speak, but Merodī cut in.

"My treat. I'll take you, your Aunt and Hahen out for a meal. It's not everyday you find talent this perfect." The pink-haired man exclaimed happily and moved away before Muzai could protest.

She looked from her teacher to Hahen, who looked equally as surprised as she did. His yellow eye glinted with the smallest bit of excitement however, and Muzai couldn't help but change her own expression from shocked to happy.

The two packed away their things after that and walked out together, they were casually walking down the halls when Hahen suddenly spoke up.

"Aiborī-san! I forgot to t-tell you something important!" His voice sounded slightly worried and he stepped up in front of her, stopping her in her tracks.

"What is it Hahen-kun?" Muzai replied slowly, raising an eyebrow in suspicion.

Hahen gulped and took a deep breath in, "Yūjin-sama told me that-"

"Who's Yūjin-sama?" Muzai suddenly interrupted, raising a hand.

Hahen stopped talking and shut his mouth as he stared blankly at the older girl, "Yūjin-sama... I-is the school's n-nurse.." He explained, feeling embarrassed and shy.

"Oh, of course." Muzai said in a large sigh of sudden realisation. She remembered visiting the Nurse's office once, he was a complete perfectionist and he had patched up her bruised hand she had received on her first day. But he hadn't introduced himself to her

"Well... He told me that G-Gekido-sensei has sent another unit after me... And he's t-targeting you aswell..." Hahen said in a quick rush of breath.

Muzai's eyes opened slightly in surprise and she stepped back slightly, taking in the news.

"How does Yūjin-sama know about The Seven Voices Academy?" She suddenly asked, the other things could wait for the moment.

Hahen tilted his head to the side innocently, "What..? D-didn't Kokutan-sama t-tell you that Yūjin-sama used to work for the A-Academy?" He questioned slowly.

Muzai bit her lip slightly and let out a small sigh, "No, she didn't tell me," She replied in a slightly hurt voice, "Gekido... Was he your..?"

"Gekido-sensei was my Sensei. Well, he wasn't to b-begin with... He bribed my p-previous Sensei into g-giving me up." Hahen explained and looked towards the ground.

There was a small silence of hurt and comfort in the air.

"Kokutan-sama sent Tsuyo-kun and Supīdo-chan back to the Academy. Gekido-sensei must know about you from Kokutan-sama's Sensei." Hahen finally spoke. He didn't stutter and his voice was somewhat steady.

"Did she go there in person?" Muzai suddenly asked, stepping closer to the younger boy.

Hahen's eye darted up from the floor and into Muzai's green orbs, "N-no. Yūjin-sama said that Kokutan-sama sent them back with a spell. I don't think she'll e-ever go back there. I k-know that I d-don't." He replied nervously.

Muzai sighed with relief, she may not know much about the Academy. But she got the right idea that it wasn't exactly safe to go near it. And she didn't want Tsumi to go near it almost as much as she didn't want herself to go near it.

"So, we're both targeted by the same person now?" Muzai spoke quietly, she decided that it was time to face facts, and if this was going to be her new life. She'll learn how to handle it somehow.

If Hahen had been entrapped for who knows how long and could still create wonderful music, then there was still hope for her, right?

"Yes... I'm s-sorry, M-Muzai-sama." Hahen said gently, and very nervously.

Muzai smiled and took in a deep breath, "Just call me Muzai. We're in this together as partners, we treat each other as partners." She stated proudly.

Hahen smiled slightly and his cheeks tainted into a light pink colour, "In t-that case you can j-just call me, Hahen." He replied shyly.

Muzai smiled and took the younger boy's arm in her own. She began to walk out of the building with him by her side and the cold, bitter, air bit at their exposed skin. Hahen was nervous about the redhead's touch at first, he even winced, but then he just found it oddly comforting and he relaxed by the time they stepped outside.

"You're n-not worried about the fighter units?" Hahen asked once they were a few feet away from the building.

Muzai looked up at the dull sky and replied simply; "Of course I am. But if this is what Sacrifices like us have to deal with, well, I guess I have to deal with it." She had a small smile on her face which made Hahen stare in admiration.

The two continued to walk beside each other and they eventually reached the wall where Tsumi sat. The silver-haired girl looked down at them and her unique gaze focused on Muzai's face.

"Kokutan-sama, Gekido-sensei has-" Hahen had started, but Tsumi raised a hand and cut him off.

"I know. Don't worry. Gekido-sensei is one of the weakest members of the Seven Moons. His students were never taught how to fight like a unit, we'll beat them. Don't worry." She said in monotone and hopped off of the wall.

Muzai noticed the older girl wince slightly, but she didn't question it and the three walked towards the dorm rooms. Hahen parted with them once Merodī had finished up and collected him.

"Don't forget to tell Shinrai about tomorrow evening." The pink-haired man had said with a wide small on his face before leaving with Hahen.

Tsumi raised an eyebrow at the older man who had seemed to ignore her presence, she then looked back down at the redhead and smirked slightly, "Tomorrow evening?" She repeated with amusement.

Muzai looked from the disappearing Hahen and Merodī up to the silver-haired girl, she held her gaze for a moment and then started walking towards her dorm again.

"Yes, Merodī-sensei wishes to take me, Hahen and my Aunt out tomorrow evening for a meal." The redhead explained with a small sigh.

"Any particular reason?" Tsumi hummed and walked alongside the younger girl.

"He wants to praise Hahen's and my talent," She replied simply and then smiled deviously, "Or maybe he just wants a good reason to take my Aunt out to dinner." She added and laughed slightly.

"You seem in good spirits. I hope all of this isn't causing any screws to come loose." Tsumi commented bluntly with a small concerned frown.

Muzai stepped in front of the silver-haired girl and she had a small smile on her face, "I'm your Sacrifice right? So this is how it's supposed to be." The redhead replied simply.

Tsumi paused for a moment and avoided the younger girl's gaze for a moment. She gripped her stomach from underneath her coat and looked back at the redhead, "Muzai, you're not my Sacrifice." She said quietly.

Muzai lost her smile and she frowned, "What do you mean? Of course I am!" She asked with confusion.

"You are a Sacrifice, but you're not _my_ Sacrifice. You're someone else's." The silver-haired girl replied simply.

"How can you be so sure?" Muzai asked slowly.

"Every Sacrifice and Sentouki share the same name, which becomes engraved somewhere on their body," Tsumi took in a deep breath and looked away from the redhead, "And you've just become a Sacrifice, so there's no way that your name has shown up on your body yet." She added.

Muzai was silent for a moment, but then her eyes just glinted with relief, "But, when the name shows up, we could end up sharing the same name after all! You won't know until it happens!" She said happily and continued to walk away from the silver-haired girl.

Tsumi knew that Muzai was desperately trying to accept everything the way it was right now, as well as trying to keep a smile on her face. She didn't want to break the redhead's heart by telling her that she had already gained her true name long before they had met.

* * *

The following day, Muzai rushed to the School building. Hahen had been waiting for her outside and they ventured into the building together. Luckily they shared the first class together, which was History, and Muzai had finally found someone she could cry with about it. The two picked a seat at the back of the room and sat down together.

Muzai had began talking to Hahen about going to dinner together with their relatives later that evening. But Hahen's eye was too fixed on the door of the classroom to notice the redhead's words. Muzai slowly looked over to the door and saw students walking inside, along with the teacher. Nothing out of the ordinary.

Well, that was until the teacher spoke up, getting the whole room's attention.

"Can we give a warm welcome to the newest student here? She just transferred here from Kanagawa and is quite the charmer." The teacher was a tall woman with greying hair. She always tried to bring a little sarcasm into every sentence she spoke, but Muzai and Hahen weren't in the mood for laughs.

The two watched as a tall, slender, girl around Tsumi's age walked in. Her hair was the practically white with the faintest shade of pink glazing it. It was long and pulled into a loose, fluffed, ponytail. Her eyes were a bright peach colour and her face was well complexed and flawless. Despite the fact that it had been snowing outside a few days ago and that October was nearly at an end, she wore a very, very, short skirt; which revealed all too much if she stepped the wrong way. Her blouse was black and tight, and her top few buttons were undone. Her legs were covered in long white socks and she had small black shoes on. Her arms were bare, apart from her right one, which was bandaged from the hand all the way up to the shoulder.

"Good day everyone," She said with a cheerful tone and bowed to the classroom, "My name is Hoshi Hikari."


	20. Devious

Author's Notes.

All I have to say is; HALLOWEEN IS SOOOOO CLOSE! That is all.

Disclaimer: I don't own Loveless.

* * *

_ The Academy always seemed so distant, so isolated from the rest of the world. The glorious sun never seemed to shine down over the building's form, nor did the clouds cease from the sky. It was always dark, so dark._

_The classroom Tsumi spent most of her time in was always dim and cold. _

_Her eyes glided across the hallways as she stood beside the door of her classroom. Sensei had always told her that it was dangerous to leave, dangerous to flee from his sight. So she resided within the classroom as she watched the other students walk by and make their own way to their lessons._

_She'd always assumed that those students were all training to be Sentouki. But the miserable truth was; they were all a part of Gekido's experiments. Their faces were blank, expressionless, and dull. Their eyes were distant, almost as if they weren't truly looking at this world anymore. They walked together, in a single line through the halls, never stopping, never glancing at the young silver-haired girl in the doorway, never knowing what fate would bring them. Tsumi had stared at those blank faces for so long that she hadn't realised how used she was to it. Her heart kept a steady pace and she blinked as if what she was watching was the most natural thing in the world._

_Everytime she would glance over at a new, unfamiliar, face. She would simply take note in their eye colour and their ears. Their ears. That's what made someone pure, clean, and innocent. She envied them. For innocence was something she couldn't have. And she never will._

"_Close the door, Tsumi."_

_Sensei. His voice was what she imagined chimed notes would sound like wrapped in pure velvet. It also had a dark hum and an endless echo. Like the most alluring music._

_Yes. 'Close the door, Tsumi.' That's what she'd tell herself over and over again in her head. _

_Block them all out. _

_Block everything out._

_...Block yourself out._

* * *

Tsumi bolted up from the bed she had been laying in and gasped sharply. She closed her eyes tightly and rapidly clenched and unclenched her fists. She felt sweat clung to her head and clumps of her silver hair were sticking over her cheeks and the back of her neck. She drew her breath steadily and calmed herself down before slowly collapsing back onto the bed.

"You can't stay here forever." A calm toned voice stated and drifted through the air.

Tsumi lazily looked over at the man sitting at a desk in the corner of the room, "You'll have to leave at some point." He added, not looking up from the papers he was reading.

The silver-haired girl rolled her unique eyes and let out a loud groan, she scanned across the room and realised how dim it seemed. The room was clean and smelt of disinfected, like always.

"The unit's already here. So you better heal up and go get rid of them." The man said, his red-eyes continued to scan through the texts on the white pieces of paper and he combed his blonde hair with his nails slowly.

Tsumi didn't reply and she forcefully clutched at her side. Her stomach had been wrapped in bandages as well as her torso, the wounds she had received from the last fight she had accepted were a lot worse than all the other's by far. But she expected the recklessness from Gekido-sensei's students. They didn't know how to work as a unit. But they definitely knew how to deal a savage attack.

"It's not just a unit." Tsumi said in monotone, catching the older man's attention.

"I know. I can feel them too." He replied with a small hint of irritation.

Tsumi blinked and slowly sat up, she didn't care about the pain any more. She stepped out of the covers of the infirmary's bed and allowed the thin sheet to cascade down her body. She didn't really have any need to hide the scars she carried on her bare skin, after all, Yūjin had always been the one to patch them up once upon a time.

She picked up the clothes from the corner of the room and pulled them back on. Once she had zipped up her frayed jeans, Yūjin slowly turned around on his seat and leant against it lazily. His red eyes watched the younger girl pull a white buttoned shirt over her bandaged chest with a small raise of a blonde eyebrow.

"Come back tomorrow and I'll redress that for you." He said bluntly, with a sigh.

Tsumi nodded and pulled her hat on over her messy hair and torn ears. She pulled on her black-stilettoed shoes and draped her long, black, coat over her lean form. She gave Yūjin a small wave and stepped out of the infirmary.

* * *

Muzai frowned as Hikari made her way towards the empty desk in front of her and Hahen. She glared her emerald eyes at the older girl's head and almost scoffed at the sight of no ears.

"She's from the Academy." Hahen whispered and flinched as the teacher spoke up and announced what they'd be doing during class.

The redhead exchanged a look of concern with the boy beside her and gulped. They'd have to leave the classroom as soon as it was over, otherwise, who knows what could happen.

Luckily for Muzai and Hahen, they were able to escape without catching anyone's attention because Hikari was being cornered by the other students and immediately became 'Miss-popular.'

The redhead ran down the halls, clutching tightly to Hahen's bandaged hand and ran down a flight of stairs before exiting the building and allowed the cool air to wash over her flushed face. They ran over to where Tsumi usually sat and slumped against it, breathless.

"Is she a Sentouki?" Muzai asked through rasps of quick breaths.

"Y-yes... She's very p-powerful." Hahen replied and tried to stop his little heart from pumping too quickly.

"We'll be fine once Tsumi shows up." Muzai reassured him and stood up straight. She cursed herself from having no phone anymore and frantically looked around the area.

Hahen's eye was glancing around too and the both stood closer to each other. The younger boy tilted his head slightly, as did Muzai, as if they were listening for something.

"There's another unit." Hahen finally stated and began walking backwards towards the School's building.

Muzai followed, they never allowed their eyes to leave the open gates of the school. The noise in their heads was a warning, Muzai wasn't too surprised about it, she had heard it before and was mentally beating herself up for not noticing all the signs of danger in the previous events. But then the noise stopped and it left her and Hahen clueless as to what they should do next.

There was a cool breeze in the air and it shot through Muzai's red hair. She felt Hahen shiver slightly beside her, but she also felt him keep a strong posture and together they awaited for whatever may happen.

A shot of rapid light came from outside of the school's gates and erupted between Hahen and Muzai, sending the two flying in different directions.

The redhead groaned and rolled onto her stomach. She looked over at the gates to see two figures walk in. One was female and wore white, the other was someone she knew all too well; Miryoku.

"Well, if it isn't Memori Hahen," The crimson-haired boy mused and skipped over towards Hahen, "Did you really think that you could become a unit with her? Or did you just want a playmate?" He added with a pout.

Muzai stood up on wobbly legs and threw her bag at Miryoku's head. It struck him at full speed and the bag exploded in papers and textbooks. The crimson-haired boy growled lowly and his golden gaze snapped from Hahen to the younger redhead.

Muzai didn't back down and she kept her emerald eyes locked on the older boy's pissed off face. Without warning, Miryoku summoned an attack and sent a spear of light towards her. She knew she couldn't dodge it and closed her eyes. The fuzzed images and signals in her head was replaced with an eerie comfort and she reopened her eyes to see Tsumi standing in front of her. The silver-haired girl had her back to the redhead and she clutched painfully at her shoulder, which was now gushing red.

"Damn you, Kokutan!" Miryoku yelled, he averted his gaze from Tsumi and looked over to the white-clothed girl, "Naku! Lend me your strength." He demanded.

Naku ran over to Miryoku and took his hand. The crimson-haired boy smiled devilishly and fiendishly sent an attack at Hahen. The attack was powerful and shot the spot where Hahen was laying.

Muzai screamed loudly and tried to run over to where the younger boy was. But Tsumi grabbed at the redhead's arm and yanked her back, which was painful and protective all at once.

Miryoku smiled deviously and held Naku even closer to his body. His golden eyes watched intently as the air cleared around Hahen's figure, as did Tsumi and Muzai.

A quiet, sly, trail of sickening laughter crept into the cold air. It grew louder and louder until the air cleared around Hahen and revealed Hikari standing over the younger boy.

Miryoku and Naku gasped loudly and stepped back in fright at the sight of the pink-eyed girl. Even Muzai felt Tsumi tense up slightly. The redhead clutched at the silver-haired girl's arm tightly and tried to get her attention.

"Who exactly is she?!" Muzai yelled in desperation.

Tsumi's multi-coloured gaze glared slightly at the girl standing over the unconscious Hahen. She gripped her shoulder tighter and looked from Hikari and then to Miryoku and Naku.

"Hoshi Hikari," Tsumi began and landed her eyes back on Hikari, "Is Gekido-sensei's Sentouki." She finished darkly.


	21. Guilt

Author's Notes.

The amount of times I have to go back and read previous chapters to see what I have said and what I haven't said is driving me nuts! *Takes a moment to calm down* I had to delete so much from this chapter, and then re-write it, and then cut it up... (You'll understand once you read it)

Originally this story was going to be Seven different stories all together, but I didn't think that would really work, so instead it's all going to be just one big story, with seven different parts... If that makes sense...? OTL

Well anyway, the first part of the story is almost at it's end! And we get a few flashbacks in this chapter! *Bows* Enjoy, enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own Loveless.

* * *

"_Do you know why you're here?" A man asked, he leant back in his large, comfortable, chair. He hated asking the simple questions and not getting straight to the point. Straight to experimenting._

_The room was a simple office, nothing but a large desk towards the back and bookshelves leant against it's dim walls. Two seats sat either side of the large desk; the larger, comfortable one, had a tall man sitting in it. His eyes were lime and bright, constantly seeking into whoever, or whatever, he looked at. His hair was a light shade of kiwi and his skin was slightly tanned. _

_He watched intently at the boy sitting across from him. The boy looked nervous, he was no more than eleven, maybe twelve. His eyes were yellow and they were darting in every direction, landing on everything in the room apart from the man sitting at the large desk. His hair was a deep, dark, colour; with the slightest hue of purple. He picked nervously at the ends of the black hoodie he wore and shifted on the creaky seat._

_The older man sighed with impatience and leant forward against the desk. He propped his arms up on it and went through the papers spread out on the wooden surface and scanned over the name at the top of the document. _

"_Memori Hahen," He muttered and finally caught the younger boy's attention, "Your last mentor, __Ō__kui, has transferred you from his classes and has given me full control over your lessons, as well as who may be your Sentouki." He stated simply with a cruel smile playing on his lips._

"_I-in other words... Y-you're my S-Sensei now...?" Hahen replied after a moment of silence._

_The lime-eyed man allowed the smile to engulf his mouth and he stood up from his chair and walked around to stand behind Hahen's chair. The younger boy didn't avert his gaze from the chair across from him, even though now it was empty and the man was standing behind him. He didn't even flinch when he felt a hand reach into his dark, messy, hair and pinch at his ears, which had been limply hanging in defeat at the top of his head until now. His eyes watered slightly as fingernails dug into the skin and possibly drew blood._

"_Yes, I am your Sensei. And you are my student," The older man whispered into Hahen's ear and took a fistful of the younger boy's hair and pulled his head back roughly, causing the yellow-eyed boy to yelp, "Now, say my name." He ordered darkly._

_Hahen winced as the grip on his hair tightened. He gulped back the lump of fear that had formed in his throat and licked his dry lips quickly._

"_Yes... Gekido-sensei.." Hahen whimpered quietly._

_Gekido grinned widely and released his hold on the younger boy's hair. He stood up straight and grabbed Hahen by the arm and pulled him off of the chair and began to walk towards the office's exit._

"_I'm sure you'll be one of my most treasured experiments yet, Hahen." The older man hummed coldly and walked out of the room, dragging the dark-haired boy down the hallways of the Academy._

_Ever since those brutal 'experiments'_ _began_,_ Hahen learnt how to appreciate all the little things in life. Especially the most unique things in life, like the multi-coloured gaze that watched him from a dark doorway._

* * *

Miryoku clenched his jaw in frustration and took ahold of Naku's shoulders and shielded himself with her small frame. He readied himself for whoever may throw an attack first; Hikari or Tsumi.

"Do I frighten you that much?" Hikari asked through a sly smile.

Miryoku flinched at the older girl's words and stepped back slightly, pulling Naku along with him as he did so.

"Don't get in my way!" The crimson-haired boy snapped and took another step back.

Hikari tilted her head to the right, allowing her lightly coloured hair to flow down to one side, she almost looked innocent.

"I would have said the same to you, but it would seem that you had just tried to attack my sweet little prey," She replied and knelt down to Hahen, who was still laying on the floor unconscious. She ran a hand through his hair and traced a finger down his bandaged face slowly before looking back up at her frightened opponents, "And that really pisses me off." She stated with a growl.

Miryoku gulped slightly and stopped walking backwards. His grip on Naku tightened briefly before he spoke up; "I declare a battle of spells!"

Hikari stood back up slowly and cracked her knuckles sharply,"I accept." She replied wickedly.

* * *

_Hahen had been told that he would gain a Sentouki, but all he ever seemed to gain was scars and cuts. Everyday he was placed in a dark, cold, damp cell and was only ever brought out of it when Gekido wished to use him for an experiment. Every experiment was always the same._

_He'd go to a different room, slightly larger than his cell, but still had the same musty cold feeling. He'd wait for a unit to arrive and then... He'd receive whatever spells and attacks hadn't been performed on anyone before. He couldn't fight back or defend himself, he was never allowed a Sentouki to even assist in these events. He was just the dummy, the doll, the test-subject._

_After the unit left, satisfied with what they had done, Hahen was usually rushed to the infirmary. He'd spent most of his days in there than he had in his cell. When these experiments had began, Gekido would heal his wounds and quickly call in the next unit. But the older man had decided to leave the wounds and see how badly they damaged the flesh after their counter. Because the world they lived in was a world where only two things existed; Innocence and Guilt. Innocence meant you were pure, untouched and scarless. Guilt meant that you had sinned, that you were unclean and scarred to the bone._

_And in Gekido's eyes, being scarred was far worse than anything in the world._

* * *

Tsumi led Muzai back slowly as soon as the area around them was ingulfed in darkness. The silver-haired girl watched as the battle between the other units commenced, she took note in how they moved; which was extremely fast and savagely unpredictable.

Muzai tugged at the older girl's coat gently, "Tsumi, what are we going to do?" She asked keeping her voice low and never taking her eyes off of the unconscious Hahen.

Tsumi winced and gripped at her bleeding shoulder, she tried to lift the damaged arm, but it wouldn't move. She closed her eyes and muttered a quick healing spell, keeping it simple and weak. She didn't want to draw attention to herself and the redhead, and all she wanted was the nerves to come back to life; she didn't really care about how much it bled.

"Muzai," Tsumi spoke, the redhead looked up at the silver-haired girl and blinked, "I want you to stay right here, in this spot." She stated and pushed the younger girl down to the dark floor.

"What are you going to do?" Muzai asked and looked up frantically at the older girl, but she didn't dare to stand up from the ground.

"I'm going to get Hahen out of there." Tsumi replied bluntly and darted towards the bizarre fight.

"Tsumi!" Muzai cried loudly and reached a hand out for the older girl, but there was nothing that could stop Tsumi now that she'd made up her mind.

* * *

_Hahen knew that one of these experiments would leave a mark on him that he wouldn't be able to hide. One that he wouldn't be able to pretend never existed. His hands were practically held together by scar tissue by the end of the first month he became a student of Gekido's. He had received a massive blow to the chest too, and that left a long scar that started to the top of his right shoulder and stopped at the side of his left hip, two inches wide and three inches deep. He had spent weeks in the Academy's infirmary because of it. _

_Eventually The Seven Moons had told Gekido to finally put a stop to all his useless experiments, but the devious man continued to conduct them in secret. And not long after Hahen had been released from the infirmary, he was taken away and put up against more units. And then the day came when he received the one scar he wouldn't be able to hide._

_It wasn't a unit who came that day. No. It was a single Sentouki. At first Hahen had thought that he had finally been given his Sentouki and that he could finally leave this hell he had somehow got caught up into. But as soon as he stepped closer to the Sentouki, golden-eyes darted into his clear yellow ones._

"_Memori Hahen?" The Sentouki spoke and took a long breath in from the cigarette in his hand._

"_Y-yes..?" Hahen replied and stopped dead in his tracks._

_The golden-eyed fighter blew the toxic gas from his mouth and into the younger boy's face, causing him to cough and step backwards._

"_Gekido-sensei said you were supposed to be my practice doll. I'm working on a new technique, so I want to get it done and over with, if that's not too much trouble." The fighter said in a bored-like voice and flicked his cigarette across the cold room._

_Hahen felt his heart sink and he suddenly went limp, "Yes, of c-course.." He replied quietly._

_The younger boy jumped and yelped loudly when he felt his arm suddenly erupt with pain. He looked up with wide, yellow, eyes and held his now bleeding arm in fright._

"_How did you...? You haven't summoned the battlefield yet!" Hahen asked frantically and inspected his arm again._

_The fighter grinned with satisfaction at the sight of the wound he had just given to the younger boy, "I told you I was working on a new technique! This is what I can do." He replied and summoned another attack._

_Hahen saw it coming this time and he dodged it quickly. He gasped at himself once he had avoided the attack and the spell hit the cell's brick wall; which shattered the moment it had been struck. The yellow-eyed sacrifice had always felt like running and fleeing from all the previous attacks, but he never had the will to until now. He guessed it was because there was no battlefield and he felt more vulnerable somehow._

"_Damn it! Stay still!" The fighter yelled angrily and sent more attacks at the younger boy._

_Hahen couldn't bear to just stand like a dummy, not like this. He continued to dodge the attacks as best as he could, but he had recently broken his ankle and that resulted in stumbling over the floor after avoiding another five attacks. He whimpered in pain as he felt blood run from the side of his face. He wiped it away with the sleeve of his shirt, staining the grey fabric to a dark-red. He heard footsteps approach and attempted to move away._

"_The down-sider to not having a battlefield," The fighter began as Hahen lifted himslef off of the cold floor, "Is that I can't actually restrain you. So if this was a normal fight, and not just an experiment, we would have to fight until one of us gives up," He raised a hand and began summoning another attack, "Or fight until one of us dies." He stated and sent the attack flying._

_Hahen didn't have time to turn around and flee, he had been listening to the other's words and had been stepping backwards with caution. But as soon as that attack came towards his form, all he could do was let it hit him. He didin't know why he had kept his eyes open and watched as the attack drew closer and closer, maybe if he had closed them, things would have been different. But it was all too late._

_That blow had been the last thing that had happened that day. He was rushed to the infirmary, barely conscious. He was poorly stitched up and was told that his right eye would never work again. Somehow Hahen didn't find it distressing, he didn't even feel like crying over the events of losing an eye. He just lay there in his bed, where he spent most of his time in the Academy. He heard whispers in the air about other students, Sentouki and Sacrifices alike. But no one ever talked about him._

_Who knew that you could meet so many different faces and still be the loneliest person in the world? Except, every face he ever came across, would leave a scar somewhere on his body. Every face he would come across was different, he'd never forget those faces; but they'd surely forget him._

* * *

Tsumi dodged attacks that were being thrown her way skillfully. By now, both Hikari and Miryoku had noticed the silver-haired girl and were desperately trying to rid her from the battle. But by the time Tsumi had reached the spot where Hahen lay unconscious, Hikari had stopped throwing attacks.

Miryoku noticed this and smiled deviously, "Too afraid you'll hit the lame excuse of a Sacrifice?" He mused.

Hikari's pink eyes glowed with an obvious rage and she whipped her head around to face the crimson-haired boy, "Shut the fuck up!" She screamed and sent a powerful attack at her opponent.

Miryoku hardly had time to dodge and was quickly engulfed in chains, as was Naku, how was still being used as a shield. Tsumi used the distraction to pick up Hahen's fragile form and run back to Muzai. Miryoku saw the silver-haired girl from the courner of his eye and was about to send an attack her way, but he was cut short by another blow from Hikari. The crimson-haired boy hissed and turned his attention back to his original foe.

Tsumi held Hahen close, she felt her muscles ache and rip where she had been attacked earlier, but she needed to get the younger boy and Muzai out. She can worry about herself later.

"Tsumi." Muzai whined as the silver-haired girl reached her side once again.

Tsumi placed Hahen beside Muzai and she knelt beside the two Sacrifices, taking each of their hands; she began to whisper something.

Muzai guessed that Tsumi knew a retreat spell, because in moments the whole scene around them changed and they were all suddenly inside the Nurse's office.

Yūjin had been sitting in the courner of the room, reading a book as he sat in a rather large armchair. He sighed with annoyance and lowered his book to view the three huddled up on the floor and raised a blonde eyebrow.

Muzai peered up at the red eyes peering over the top of small spectacles. She gave a weak, nervous, smile.

"Nice of you to drop in." Yūjin mused sarcastically.


	22. Speed

Author's Notes.

I am trying so hard to get this part of the story done and over with so we can move on to the next part! But I can't rush too much, otherwise there will be certain things that won't make any sense at all OTL I just hope to get it finished before Halloween. (I actually plan to make a very speacial extra chapter for Halloween in this story *Bows, bows* So much to do... SO LITTLE TIME!) Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own Loveless.

* * *

Hahen mumbled something under his breath and turned in the bed he had been placed in. He started flailing his arms slightly and reached out for the empty space in front of him, fingers flexing as if he was trying to grab something desperately. He groaned loudly a few moments afterwards and rolled back onto his back and winced slightly. His lips parted and he muttered something under his breath.

"...H..ika..ri..."

Yūjin, who had been reading a book and trying to block out the noises and groans coming from the younger boy, dropped his book onto the floor and his jaw hung open after hearing his patient call out a name he knew all too well. His red gaze slowly glanced over to the boy and he blinked in surprise a few times.

"Yūjin," Tsumi spoke up, the silver-haired girl had planted herself on the floor in the corner of the room and was clutching her newly-bandaged shoulder tenderly, "Close your mouth." She ordered bluntly, her multi-coloured gaze clearly unamused at the sight of the older man before her.

Yūjin clicked his tongue and cleared his throat awkwardly as he reached for the book he had dropped to the floor, "He just said Hikari..." The man muttered and nervously tried to sit back into a comfortable position on his chair, "Does he mean-"

"Yes," Tsumi cut in bluntly and leant her head against the wall she had her back to. Her eyes glanced from the blonde man to Hahen's bed, she blinked at the redhead who was sitting beside the bed and holding onto one of Hahen's bandaged hands gently, "Hikari was here, outside of the school." She stated dryly.

Yūjin almost dropped the book once again, but his grip shakily held it together. His red eyes widened and he looked from Tsumi to Hahen and then back to the silver-haired girl once more.

"Hikari was here? Hoshi Hikari?" He questioned frantically and placed his book on his extremely neat desk, giving up on reading it all together.

Tsumi nodded gravely and averted her gaze from Hahen and Muzai. The redhead blinked in confusion and gently released her hold on Hahen's hand. She sat back in the chair she had taken and looked over to Yūjin. Her emerald eyes blinked at his image a few times and she moved her gaze from him over to Tsumi, slowly.

"Why would Hahen say her name?" She asked unsure of what her answer may be.

When Tsumi didn't reaply, Yūjin spoke up; "Hoshi Hikari, is Gekido's Sentouki. Not many people in the Academy are aware of his position as a Sacrifice, and that means not many people are aware of Hikari's existence. She's like Gekido's lapdog; he orders, she follows. Unfortunately, no matter what he asks of her, she will do anything to make his wishes come true." He spoke with a small frown on his brow.

Muzai shook her head slowly, listening to his words. Hahen tossed in his bed once more and she whipped her head around to tend to the younger boy once again.

"Even so," The redhead began as she took ahold of one of Hahen's bandaged hands once more, "That doesn't really answer my question. Why would Hahen talk of her in his sleep? Especially if she's a fighter for his own Sensei whom he ran away from." Her voice was full of confusion and concern.

This time, Tsumi answered her question; "Hahen became Gekido's student around the same time Hikari became Gekido's Sentouki. Yūjin and I don't know a lot about it, but my guess is that they meet on a few occasions and held a certain similarity." She spoke in monotone and her gaze seemed to be fixed onto the distance of the empty space across from her.

"Certain similarity?" Muzai repeated in a puzzled voice. She looked from Hahen and over to Tsumi, waiting for a reply.

"They were both abused and scarred by Gekido." Yūjin said simply.

Muzai looked from the silver-haired girl and over to the blonde man. She frowned slightly and tilted her head in question, "He hurt his own Sentouki? But aren't Sentouki stronger than Sacrifices? Wouldn't she have attacked him with a spell if he harmed her?" She began asking one question after another until Yūjin held up his hands to silence her.

"She's the type of Sentouki who takes her position as the one who receives the orders quite... Thoroughly. Everything that Gekido does to her, she allows. Because Hikari has been raised to think that Sentouki are Sacrifice's slaves. Master and Servant, no more." Yūjin explained through a small sigh of annoyance.

Muzai could see the sympathy and disgust in his eyes. She then averted her gaze from the older man and over to Tsumi. She stared at her for a long time and began to wonder if Tsumi was like Hikari. Did she expect to be punished and ordered what to do? Somehow it just didn't seem like the silver-haired girl. But Muzai began to remember how many things she didn't know about Tsumi; and that this could easily be one of them.

The redhead was quickly brought out of her thoughts when Hahen suddenly woke up. He took a deep breath in and bolted upright into a sitting position, breathing rapidly and eyes wide.

Yūjin walked over to his bed and lazily checked him over for anything unusual. Hahen ignored the older man's touch and his yellow eye looked down at his hand, which was being held gently by Muzai. He felt his cheeks flush pink and he didn't know whether or not to pull away.

"You're fine. You can leave now." Yūjin declared bluntly and walked back over to his tidy desk.

Tsumi gave the older man a sharp stare, but she slowly stood up from the floor all the same. She pulled on her coat and placed her hat on over her ears. She slowly walked over to the exit and patiently waited for her companions.

Hahen was slowly helped out from the bed by Muzai and she helped support his weight as they walked over to Tsumi. The silver-haired girl held the door open for the two and they exited the room in silence. Tsumi wasn't surprised when Yūjin suddenly spoke up before she could leave.

"In what state did you leave Hikari in?" He asked. There was a certain hint of concern in his voice, as well as annoyance.

Tsumi slowly turned around to look at the blonde man, before replying in an expressionless voice; "I didn't have the privilege to leave her in any state of my own. I left her in a battle, with a different unit."

Yūjin groaned loudly and rubbed his face with his hands to calm himself down. He slumped down into his chair and and put both hands to his mouth in thought, "How many members of the Seven Moons have you exactly pissed off?" He asked bluntly.

"I think it's best that you don't know the answer to that," Tsumi replied in a low voice and turned on her heel to leave, "Just let me deal with them." She said simply and walked away, leaving Yūjin to stare off after her with a small glare of annoyance.

* * *

"Are you sure?" Muzai asked for about the twelfth time.

Tsumi gave the younger girl a frown before raising a silver eyebrow and crossed her arms over her chest, "Yes. I'm sure. They're not here anymore." She reassured in a monotoned voice.

Muzai bit her lip and looked down at her food. The redhead had been sharing her meal with Tsumi and Hahen for the past ten minutes and all she could ask was whether or not Miryoku, Naku and Hikari had left yet. But every time that the redhead had asked, Tsumi responded with the same reply.

"M-Muzai.. You could f-feel their aura back there.. C-couldn't you?" Hahen asked after he had finished a mouthful of potato.

Muzai blinked a few times, trying to understand what he had meant. Then she remembered how she had felt a sharp pain in her head, like a warning, right before Miryoku and Naku had turned up.

"Yeah. I did." She replied after a moment of silence and went back to picking at her food with her chopsticks.

"C-can you still f-feel them..?" The younger boy asked in a quiet voice.

Muzai thought once more. She hadn't actually felt anything after Tsumi had brought them to Yūjin's office. Did that mean they really were gone?

"But, Hoshi Hikari entered our classroom long before Miryoku showed up. How come I didn't feel anything then?" The redhead asked and took a mouthful of rice.

Hahen's eye widened slightly and then his face feel into a look of disappointment. As if he had been so sure about what he had just been talking about, but was cut down in his prime. He feebly went back to eating his meal and chewed in shame.

"Hikari has been trained not to allow her aura to be sensed. Her aura - like many other auras belonging to Sentouki - only ever rupture when they're in a battle stance," Tsumi defended, her gaze fell upon Muzai's face and she paused for a moment to make sure that the younger girl was listening, "Miryoku, however, is very different." She added and took a mouthful of rice.

"Different?" Muzai repeated quietly and looked down at her food once more.

"Yes.. H-he can a-attack without a b-battlefield...You saw i-it." Hahen reminded, gaining a little more confidence that he had been right from the start of the conversation after all.

Tsumi nodded and sipped on her juice box before adding bluntly; "Because of that, Miryoku has trouble controlling his aura. Because in specific terms; he's never out of his battle stance."

Muzai chewed her food slowly as she listened to her companions. She quickly swallowed to add her final argument, "So, we know that Miryouk's definitely left the school grounds. But what about Hikari?" She waited for a response and looked between the two.

"H-Hikari-sama... She won't l-leave until I g-go back.." Hahen muttered quietly and his eye drifted down to the floor.

Tsumi finished up her food and stood from her chair. She ruffled Hahen's hair playfully and then her gaze landed on Muzai. The redhead didn't avert her emerald eyes away from the silver-haired girl's face.

"It's true. Hikari will return for Hahen, as will other units for us. But for now, I can safely say that we're alright for the time being," Tsumi spoke with no emotion, like she always did. But Muzai knew that she was being honest. The silver-haired girl began to walk away, but stopped briefly and gave Muzai a small smile, "I have to go home for a moment. If anything is to happen, go straight to Yūjin. I won't be long." She said bluntly and walked away from their small table.

Hahen peered up at Muzai and the redhead gave a small sigh and looked back at the younger boy.

"Are we still on for tonight?" Muzai joked.

* * *

Tsumi practically ran back to her house. The cold air attacked her exposed flesh and bit at her fingers. The heels on her stilettos tapped loudly on the concrete and surrounded the air around her, filling her ears with an uncomfortable rhythm. Finally, she reached her neighbourhood and rounded on her - Rīdā's - house.

The silver-haired girl stopped short when she saw her roommate sitting on the concrete steps of the house, chewing on a lollipop. Despite the cold, she was still wearing her usual black mini-skirt and cardigan. Her blue eyes peered over he glasses at Tsumi and a small irritated smile crossed her lips.

"Where the hell have you been?" The dark-haired girl snapped lightly and sat up from the small staircase. She brushed herself off before walking over to the younger girl.

Tsumi's eyes searched the older girl's face for a sign of anger, rage, something that she was used to seeing after coming home from being away for a day or two. But no such emotions were on her roommate's face.

"Why so serious?" Rīdā asked and leant closer the silver-haired girl's puzzled face.

"I... How long have you been waiting..?" Tsumi replied slowly and tried to not show any signs of pain when Rīdā gently placed a hand down on her newly-wounded shoulder.

"A while. But I'm not one for specific detail, so let's just settle for an hour or so," The dark-haired girl replied and began fussing over Tsumi's messed up silver locks. She then laced her arms around the younger girl's waist and held the small of her back, "You've forgotten what day it is, haven't you?" She muttered and raised a dark eyebrow.

Tsumi blinked in confusion and slowly wrapped her own arms around the other girls back. She stared back at the older girl with a completely clueless expression, which made Rīdā laugh in amusement.

"You're such a Baka," Rīdā said with a wide smile, she removed one of her arms from Tsumi's back and took the lollipop from her own mouth before kissing Tsumi lightly, ignoring whoever may be looking their way, Tsumi kissed back; still confused about what the hell was going on. Once they parted, Rīdā put her forehead to Tsumi's and smirked slyly, "It's your birthday." She declared.

Tsumi's eyes widened in surprise and she looked up into Rīdā's blue gaze, "Really? My birthday? ...I totally... Forgot.." She said in-between puzzled breaths.

Rīdā laughed lightly and pulled away from the younger girl slightly, grabbing her hand and pulling her towards the house, "You forgot last year too." The dark-haired girl reminded and put her candy back in her mouth as she climbed the concrete stairs and led Tsumi inside into the warmth of the house.

The silver-haired girl was surprised to see the living room decorated in ballons and streamers. There was a few presents piled up on the edge of the sofa where Migi and Hidari normally sat. There was also the smell of freshly baked cake and the aroma of melted chocolate filled the air, making Tsumi's mouth water slightly.

"I.." The silver-haired girl began, catching Rīdā's attention. She wanted to say how she had hurry. But with the look Rīdā was giving her, it made her want to stay and enjoy herself for once. But she knew that she couldn't. She'd have to let Rīdā down again. Like every other time, every other celebration, birthday, anniversary, funeral, wedding. Every time Rīdā needed Tsumi, the silver-haired girl couldn't be there for her. But Rīdā was _always_ there for Tsumi. And it tore Tsumi up inside, "Rīdā... I have to go back to school. I can't be long." She stated quietly, stopping in her tracks.

Rīdā stopped too, she still had ahold of Tsumi's hand, but the silver-haired girl felt miles away. Her blue eyes looked away from the multi-coloured orbs and her hand began to slip out of Tsumi's, the silver-haired girl tightened her grip, but only a little. It wasn't enough to convince Rīdā to stop slipping from her grasp though. The older girl's hand fell to her side limply and her glasses seemed to reflect on everything, blocking her eyes from sight. Tsumi held her arm out for a few more moments, expecting Rīdā to hold her hand once again, put she knew it was pointless and so she allowed her arm to fall to her side in silence.

"Thank you, Rīdā..." Tsumi whispered and slowly stepped up to the older girl and gently kissed her forehead before walking away and up the stairs to her bedroom.

Rīdā took in a deep breath and looked up at the ceiling. She choked back the tears forming in her eyes and swallowed the lump that had developed in her throat. Instead of cowering like a useless, lost, child, Rīdā did what she always did in these situations; get over it.

She slumped down onto the sofa, the one without the presents, and finished off her lollipop. She looked over at the blank TV monitor and wondered whether or not to turn it on. Her eyes then averted towards the small clock above the kitchen's arch and she raised her eyebrows when she realised how early it actually was.

By the time Tsumi had finished with changing her clothes and grabbed a few things, Rīdā was busying herself with tuning her violin. She didn't look up as the silver-haired girl walked by, she just continued to fiddle with her instrument. Tsumi didn't find this unusual, this was just the way Rīdā was when she was in a bad mood. Any minute now the room would be filled with the sound of _Z__igeunerweisen_and and the blue-eyed girl would be at some sort of peace.

Before Rīdā could even strike a single note however, Tsumi spoke up. The silver-haired girl was surprised that Rīdā hadn't continued and stopped to listen to what she had to say.

"Rīdā, how would you like to go out tonight? Just the two of us?" Her voice was blank and emotionless, but it still managed to get quite a reaction from the dark-haired girl.

She whipped her head around and her eyes narrowed. She lowered her instrument and set them on the sofa slowly as she examined the motionless face before her. She then raised a black eyebrow and crossed her arms slowly, "What's the catch?" She asked skeptically.

Tsumi laughed lightly and began to button up her coat, "You're paying." She replied simply and looked back up at the older girl.

Rīdā had a smile creeping onto her face that she couldn't seem to get rid of, "I'm paying?_ You _ask _me _out and expect me to pay?" She said and placed a hand on her hip stubbornly, "What makes you think I will?" She added with a small smirk.

"It's my Birthday." Tsumi said as if it were the most simple answer in the world. She then gave her roommate a small wave and began to walk towards the exit.

"Tsumi," Rīdā suddenly called. The silver-haired girl stopped and looked over her shoulder, awaiting a response, "Here." The older girl said lazily and threw a pair of keys towards the younger girl.

Tsumi reacted quickly and grabbed the item flying towards her. Once they were in her hands she looked down at them as if she had never seen the like before in her life. Her eyes then looked back up at Rīdā and she gave her puzzling look, "Keys?" Was all she could say.

Rīdā nodded and began to pick up her violin once again. She layed the item on her shoulder and brought the bow to it's strings. Her blue eyes looked over at the silver-haired girl and she kept a steady gaze with her as she replied over the soothing noise she had began to create, "It's your birthday present. You mentioned that you lost your only way of transport somehow, and well, I figured you couldn't be asked to walk back and forth all the time. Lazybones." She replied and the music grew louder and her eyes fluttered shut. Indicating that there was really no more point in trying to speak with her, she was literally in her own world now.

Tsumi looked back down at the keys in her hand and exited the house. Her eyes scanned the street and fell upon a rather beautiful bike. She was mentally beating herself up for not noticing it in the first place and walked down the concrete stairs and over to it. She spread her hands over the large red ribbon around the handles and she let a small smile crawl over her lips. She straddled the bike and inserted the keys, satisfied to hear it growl into life. She didn't bother taking off the bright ribbon and let it drift in the wind at her wrists.

Without a moment's hesitation, she shot down the streets and professionally made her way back to destruction.


	23. Flawless

Author's Notes.

*Sigh* Hello, hello. This will be the second-to-last chapter of the first part to this story. Six more parts to follow afterwards... OTL I think this ends on a little cliffhanger, but nothing too major. *Bows, bows* Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Loveless.

* * *

Muzai and Hahen walked out of the school together. It seemed that there had been no sign of Hikari since that morning. And when the two had told Tsumi about it, when she had returned, the silver-haired girl had said that it doesn't mean they could relax. After all, Hikari was determined to bring whatever her Sacrifice wanted.

The redhead took a big gulp of the crispy, fresh, air and rubbed her hands together warmly. Hahen's teeth began chattering as soon as he stepped out of the building, he began hopping slightly in the spot he stood at and his ears and tail shuddered greatly. Muzai wondered if he was a really sensitive person, or maybe he was just nervous about being hunted by a crazy-ish Sentouki and this was his way of getting it out of his system.

Tsumi walked out with the two and together they began walking towards the dorms. The air was cold and the autumn breeze batted at their clothes, striking their red cheeks and tainted the whole scenery a light shade of blue. Eventually, Merodī showed up and took Hahen home. He told Muzai that he'd come by in an hour to pick up her Aunt and herself. To be honest, the redhead had almost completely forgotten about dinner. She grabbed Tsumi's hand and ran towards her dorm in a hurry as soon as Hahen and Merodī had left.

"I have to get ready for tonight! I'm sorry Tsumi." Muzai said in one big rush as she reached the door to her dorm.

Tsumi let go of the younger girl's hand before she could trip up and came to a stop, "That's alright. I have plans for tonight too." She replied and tilted her head to the side, as if she was listening for something.

Muzai was a little curious and she wanted to know what it was that Tsumi was doing tonight. But she stopped herself from asking, because she knew that if she heard the answer, she'd want to join her. So instead she just gave the older girl a quick bow and said goodbye before walking inside her dorm and closing the door softly.

Tsumi continued to hold her head to the side as she felt an unnerving presence reside in the air. The sensation grew louder and louder until it seemed as though it was right beside her. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up and she felt warm breath hit her cheek. She whipped her head around but came face-to-face with nothing. Nothing but the cold air and the echoing of a faint presence.

The silver-haired girl darted her eyes around the somewhat abandoned area and saw no one. The sensation had left the atmosphere and the only thing she could hear now was the beating of her own heart. She shook her head slightly and began walking away from the school's grounds. She let out a long sigh and readied herself for the many possible outcomes of that evening.

* * *

Muzai had dressed in the same attire she had worn when she had gone to meet her parents not too long ago, which consisted of a tight fitting skirt, a long sleeved jumper, black laced tights and simple black slip-on shoes. She didn't have many formal clothes at all, and somehow she felt confident wearing black whenever she went out with people. Why? She didn't know.

She stepped out of her room and into the living room just as a knock came at the door. The young redhead was about to answer it herself, but her Aunt - as quickly as she could - rushed by and opened it herself.

Muzai was slightly surprised to see that her Aunt had dressed herself up in a very stunning manner for tonight. She wore a tight dress that framed her torso perfectly and the folds of the skirt came out and flowed loosely around her waist and legs. There were no sleeves, but she had pulled on what looked like a pair of ballroom gloves, except they had no fingers on them. Muzai guessed that she had worn this specific dress so that the cast on her leg was covered, in fact, the young redhead was surprised to see that the sleeves she had pulled on didn't seem to show the outline of the cast on her wrist. The whole outfit was a deep red, but it suited the older woman well.

"Good evening, Kikoeru." Shinrai greeted warmly and smiled sweetly at the pink-haired man on the other side of the door.

Muzai tilted her head around her Aunt's back to view her teacher's attire. He was wearing a black coat, similar to what Tsumi wore, except his only reached just above his knees. Despite the fact he looked plain, Muzai could see the ends of silked sleeves sticking out from underneath the coat. He also wore tightly fitting trousers and platformed boots, which made him look even taller than usual.

His face was tainted pink from the cold, but upon seeing Shinrai, it seemed that his face went even pinker. Muzai wanted to laugh at the sight of it, she knew her Aunt was good at catching people's attention. But somehow seeing as it was her music teacher, the whole idea felt amusing.

"Shinrai," Merodī began and blinked a few times to regain his cool, "You... Look," He paused again and gulped before flashing the older redhead a smile, "You look amazing." He said and bowed his head slightly to the side.

Shinrai seemed to smile in triumph to his reaction. Her green eyes then wondered from the pink-haired man and looked beside him to see a short, dark-haired, boy who had been also trying to hide a small smile and watched the cold floor intently with his single eye.

"This must be your nephew. Muzai has told me a lot about you." Shinrai said with a warm smile.

"Yes, this is Hahen. He just arrived from Kanagawa." Merodī replied and looked down at his nephew, he nudged him gently and the younger boy looked up at Shinrai.

"N-nice to m-meet you..." Hahen stuttered gently and raised a hand out to the older woman.

Shinrai took the bandaged hand firmly, but carefully, and shook it steadily, "A pleasure to meet you, Hahen. Call me Shinari." She gave the younger boy a warm smile and he couldn't stop himself from blushing slightly.

"Well," Merodī began and clapped his hands together to catch everyone's attention, "We better get going." He stepped aside and awaited the redheads to follow.

Shinrai got her coat and draped it over her shoulders. She then stepped out into the cold and walked beside Merodī. Muzai followed quietly and joined Hahen, who had been waiting for her to come out. The young redhead looked him up and down and a small smile crept onto her face.

"You look cute." She remarked and watched the younger boy blush frantically.

He still had all his bandages on and his eye was still covered up. But Muzai didn't really let it bother her anymore, the bandages were a part of Hahen's character, and she was far too fixed on his formal get-up to even glance over at the covered injuries. He had a white button-up shirt on that fit around his torso and arms comfortably, over the top of that he had a deep purple waistcoat on with silver buttons. He had his shirt tucked into a pair of pitch-black trousers and he had shiny black laced shoes on. Muzai wondered if he was the same as she was when going out with people and wearing sark colurs, maybe it was a Sacrifice thing.

"I... I hadn't i-intended to look... C-cute.." Hahen replied nervously, his yellow eye glancing down at the ground, "I... Had i-intended... To l-look..." His words trailed off, searching for the right word.

"Professional?" Muzai offered with a smile.

Hahen peered back up at her with his gleaming yellow eye. He looked red with embarrassment as he nodded slowly. The redhead closed the door to her dorm and locked up before taking Hahen's arm and leaning against him slightly. Hahen winced at first, unsure of how to react to the redhead's gentle touch. But he relaxed after a few moments and walked alongside of Muzai. Keeping ahold of her arm the whole time.

* * *

When Tsumi returned home, she was a little surprised to be greeted by Migi and Hidari. The two looked up at her with identical expressions of impatience and all Tsumi could do was simply blurt out; "What?"

The twins shared a looked of confusion and then turned back to the silver-haired girl, "Didn't you get our present?" They asked in the same, eerie, tone; together.

"Oh," Tsumi sighed in relief and walked by the two and into the living room, "No." She said bluntly and sat down on one of the sofas.

Migi and Hidari followed and sat down on the other sofa, they watched the older girl with their bright, violet, eyes and waited for the silver-haired girl to move.

"What now?" Tsumi groaned after a moment's silence.

"Aren't you going to open it?" Migi asked simply.

Tsumi raised a silver eyebrow and scanned the room, "There are no presents here anymore." She stated bluntly and removed her hat and ran a hand through her hair.

"That's why we thought you already opened our's." Hidari pointed out and turned on the large TV monitor.

The twins moved their eyes away from Tsumi and fixed their gaze on the TV as it burst into life,_ Project Diva _began to fill the screen and the air was filled with extremely catchy music. Even Tsumi's tail began to sway in beat with the sounds from the screen.

"I bet you opened Shizuka's present though." Migi blurted dryly.

Tsumi's multi-coloured eyes glanced from the TV screen and over to the concentrative faces of her roommates'.

"No, I didn't actually." The silver-haired girl stated in monotone and crossed her leg over the other.

"Did you here that, Shizuka?" Hidari asked with a smirk.

"She didn't open your present either." Migi added with a cocky voice.

Tsumi blinked in surprise and looked over to the corner of the room where Shizuka usually sat. She yelped slightly and jumped in her seat when she saw that Shizuka _was_ sitting in his chair in the corner.

The dark-haired man peered over his book and gave the startled silver-haired girl a small nod. Tsumi just stared at him with a hanging jaw, wondering how long he had been sitting there. But knowing Shizuka, he could have been sitting there all day and wouldn't have been noticed.

Finally, Rīdā walked into the room and was savagely towel-drying her hair. Tsumi looked over at her and she took in her appearance; she had a short black dress on that stopped just above her knees. Her long legs were covered in fishnet stockings and she had had high heeled shoes on. Her arms were bare and her eyes were rimmed with a very dark shade of makeup, which made the blue of her eyes shine brightly.

Tsumi looked up and down at the older girl and then she looked towards the floor in silence. Some part of her didn't want to use Rīdā like this, but it had to be done.

"Rīdā looks scary without her glasses." Migi or Hidari declared bluntly, breaking the silver-haired girl's thoughts.

Rīdā shot a death glare over to her cousins, which caused the two to jump in their seats. Despite the fact they still had their eyes glued to the TV, they could feel the older girl's stare sharply dig into their skin.

"Rīdā looks... _Scarier _without her glasses." They muttered once the older girl had walked out of the room once again.

Tsumi stood up and walked over to Rīdā's bedroom door, she leant against the frame and watched as the older girl moved around and gathered her coat and slipped on her glasses. She stooped however, once her eyes caught Tsumi in the doorway and she placed a hand on her hip.

"Please don't tell me you've changed your mind about tonight." She said with a long sigh and waited for a response.

Tsumi walked into the room and stood in front of the older girl a few feet away. Her head tilted to the side and silver strands cascaded down her face. Her multi-coloured eyes looked into Rīdā's face and she let out a small sigh, "Don't worry. I'm not planning to let you down anymore." She said quietly.

Rīdā walked up to the younger girl and crossed her arms over her chest, she tilted her own head to the side to keep eye contact and she raised an eyebrow, "Are you okay? You're acting kinda... Odd." She questioned quietly.

Tsumi stood up straight and sent the other girl a small smile, "Everything's fine," She replied and held out a hand for the older girl, "Let's go."

Rīdā pulled on her coat and greatly took Tsumi's hand, this time she wasn't planning on slipping away.

* * *

Muzai was slightly surprised to see that the place Merodī had picked was the same place she had gone to meet her parents. Even Shinrai seemed surprised at first, but it was the most expensive place in Tokyo that Muzai was aware of, and the young redhead knew that her teacher had taken them out to dinner to get on Shinrai's good side more than to celebrate Hahen and her talent.

The pink-haired man led the three to a table at the back of the crowded room and he pulled a chair out for Shinrai in a gentleman way. The older redhead smiled with embarrassment and accepted the chair and sat down.

Hahen noticed the actions between the two and he nervously pulled a chair out for Muzai. But he made a fool of himself when he noticed that she had already chosen the seat next to the one he pulled out for her. His cheeks turned a bright pink and he quickly sat himself down on the empty chair before anyone looked his way. Muzai noticed that the younger boy looked a little distressed, and she was about to ask if he was okay, but Merodī spoke up.

"If I could have your attention please," He began and both Muzai and Hahen both looked in his direction. Muzai figured that he was good at getting people to listen to him, he was a teacher after all, "I have gotten into contact with a few people and have given in a very detailed word about you two." The pink-haired man pointed a finger between his students.

Shinrai's eyes widened with excitement and she leant closer to the yellow-eyed man, "And?" She encouraged, a small smile playing on her lips.

"And," Merodī repeated and paused for a split second, "They would like to hear you perform and if everything goes according to plan, they want you two to play in the _Muza Kawasaki Symphony Hall _next year." He declared with a satisfied smile.

Shinrai raised her eyebrows and looked over at Muzai, "Your dreams are coming true!" She squealed happily and took ahold of her niece's hand from across the table.

"You d-did that f-for us...?" Hahen asked quietly, his voice was completely shaken up with nervousness and excitement.

"Of course," Merodī exclaimed and leant back in his chair, yellow eyes darting between his student's faces, "You should never turn down raw talent." He stated simply and called a waiter over to take their order

Muzai was speechless. She just sat in her seat, her Aunt holding her hand tightly, her emerald eyes fixed on her teacher's face and jaw hanging.

* * *

Tsumi pulled up outside of a restaurant and turned off her bike's engine. She let Rīdā slide off first before following. The older girl's shoes clicked loudly on the cold pavement as she walked up to the large building.

"Any special reason as to why you decided on this place?" She asked once the silver-haired girl had joined her side.

Tsumi's eyes darted to the windows, glancing in all directions for any sign of a specific redhead, "No, I just figured you'd want to treat me to the most expensive restaurant in Tokyo." She replied bluntly and walked over to the entrance.

Rīdā watched her walk ahead with a death glare. She pulled a lollipop from her pocket and unwrapped it before putting it inside her mouth and sucked on it; hard. She followed the younger girl inside and was greeted by the warm atmosphere of people, sake and food.

Tsumi walked over to a table which was right next to the window looking out over the street and to where her bike was parked. She sat herself down on the sofa-like seat built into the wall, her back was to the window and her multi-coloured eyes were surveying the room in front of her.

"Why so close to the entrance?" Rīdā questioned as she sat beside the younger girl and inched closer until their hips were touching. She took her the candy out of her mouth temporarily and looked at it while she moved it around in-between her fingers slowly, "Wouldn't you prefer a dark corner so I could give you your second birthday present?" She asked with a sly smile.

Tsumi kept her eyes focused on the many people in the room as she listened to her companion's words, "You know how I am in public," She replied in monotone and leant back into the chair, "I can't get too distracted." She added.

Rīdā put the the lollipop back in her mouth and looked over to Tsumi, her sly smile grew on her face as she spoke, "Are you saying you'll get distracted in a dark corner with me?" She questioned.

Tsumi smirked slightly at that. Typical, pervy, Rīdā.

The two ordered their meals and ate together. Rīdā told the silver-haired girl all about her violin studies and the possibility of playing in some sort of concert hall, which Tsumi didn't catch the name of. Towards the ending of finishing her plateful, Rīdā announced she had to be excused for the ladies room. Tsumi waved her off slightly and her multi-coloured gaze fell upon a party of four seated at a table near the back of the room. She stared intently at the redhead sitting there and watched as something was announced from the music teacher across from her, causing the younger girl's face to take the form of complete shock and surprise, which Tsumi had to admit looked pretty funny.

Suddenly there was a cold sensation in the back of the silver-haired girl's neck and her unique gaze snapped over towards the entrance beside her. Seconds after she had looked upon the door, someone came through it.

Tall, female, lightly coloured hair, pink eyes, revealing attire; Hikari Hoshi.

Hikari scanned the room and a small sensation of satisfaction befell her when she spotted Hahen. She began to stride over to the table, but her arm was suddenly caught in a firm grasp. Her pink eyes looked over her arm to see Tsumi gripping it.

"Kokutan," Hikari chimed and turned around to face the silver-haired girl, "I thank you for taking care of Hahen from those pests. But I really must be getting on now. Gekido-sama will be expecting me shortly." Her voice was light and gentle. She turned on her heel and began to walk towards Hahen once again, but the grip on her arm wasn't released and a flare of darkness glided over her eyes briefly.

"Outside," Tsumi whispered gravely and tugged on Hikari's arm roughly, "Now." She added and dragged the other Sentouki out of the door she had just came through.

Hikari almost tripped once Tsumi shoved her forward towards the street's edge. The air was cold and still, it seemed there was no one on the streets, but there was a few people peeking in their direction through the windows of the restaurant they had just left.

"Are you stopping me from claiming Hahen?" Hikari asked as she whipped her head around to face the silver-haired girl.

"I am," Tsumi confirmed and stepped closer to the other girl. She looked her up and down and saw no signs of the battle earlier. It was painfully clear to see who had won, "What happened to Miryoku and Naku?" She questioned bluntly.

Hikari raised a lightly coloured eyebrow and stood up straight, "Why do you want to know?" She countered dryly.

"They were my problem. I want to know if they still are." Tsumi replied as she stopped a few feet in front of Hikari.

The pink-eyed girl scoffed and glared at the silver-haired girl, "They were pathetic. I sent what was left of the Sacrifice back to the Academy, she won't be getting up, ever. As for the Sentouki, he fled as soon as the girl dropped dead," Her voice sounded bored and she crossed her arms over her large chest, "I'm going to ask you to step aside now." She added.

"I won't." Tsumi replied without a moment's hesitation.

Hikari's face turned to a look of offence, "Tsumi Kokutan, are you interfering with Gekido-sama's wishes?" She questioned slowly.

"Yes." Tsumi answered, her voice never showing any expression of anger or impatience, or anything at all.

Hikari's arms dropped to her side and she craned her neck slightly, "In that case I have no choice," She began and trailed a finger over her bandaged arm, loosening the binds and letting the scarred flesh be exposed, "I declare a battle of spells." She shouted, tearing away the bandages to reveal carved letters running down her arm; W-R-A-T-H.

Tsumi glanced at the exposed arm of the pink-eyed Sentouki, a dark smile possessed her face, "I accept."


	24. Starlight

Author's Notes.

*MajorEpicDramticOvercharacteristic sigh* Hello, hello, Hi. This took all day...! **I aplogise if there are any grammar errors or spelling mistakes, I have not gone over it yet so you'll just have to bear with what is written for now OTL** *Bows, bows* Please enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Loveless.

* * *

Hahen jumped slightly and knocked the drinks on the table. The cups would have gone over if Merodī hadn't grabbed them all at once and steadied them back in their place. The pink-haired man looked up at his nephew with concerned, yellow, eyes.

"Are you alright, Hahen?" He asked gently and raised a pink eyebrow.

The dark-haired boy rose from his seat and nervously stepped away from the table, "Y-yes... I...I... Please, excuse m-me..!" He stuttered and quickly ran off towards the bathrooms.

Merodī stood up and was about to call out for him, but Hahen was like this sometimes, and it seemed nothing could bring him out of his hysteria until he calmed himself down on his own. The older man sighed loudly and sat himself back down in his seat and uncomfortably moved around on his chair.

Shinrai took an awkward sip from her drink and looked at Merodī with concern in her emerald eyes. She gently placed a hand on his strong shoulder and rubbed her thumb soothingly over the silky fabric he wore.

"Do you want Muzai and I to leave? It may be easier on Hahen if we do." She suggested, trying to hide the hurt in her voice.

Merodī quickly looked over at the redhead and his hand shot up to grip her hand resting on his shoulder. He gave it a firm squeeze and his yellow eyes stared straight into the emerald orbs before him.

"No, stay. He's... He does this sometimes... It's the Academy he used to attend.. I don't know a lot about it, but he never had wounds like the ones he has now until he returned from Kanagawa," A deep frown washed over Merodī's face as he spoke and his eyes drifted away from Shinrai's, "It changed him. When I ask him about it... He gets all panicked and locks himself up until he's calmed down." He added in a quiet voice.

Merodī suddenly looked up at Muzai who was listening to their conversation intently from across the table. The young redhead tried to avoid her teacher's gaze as soon as he looked over at her, she didn't want to give him the wrong idea that she liked to eavesdrop. Although that's exactly what she had been doing.

Shinrai looked over at Muzai too and she removed her hand from Merodī's shoulder awkwardly, clearing her throat slightly and then took another gulp from her drink. She felt like she needed at least five more drinks before ending the night.

"Please, excuse me." Muzai said quickly and hopped up from her seat and walked off before her Aunt could call for her.

Shinrai watched the young redhead walk off and she let out a loud groan as she leant back in her chair. Her emerald gaze looked back at her glass and she grabbed a bottle of sake and filled it up. Feeling Merodī's eyes on her, she spoke up; "Can I tell you a secret?" Her voice sounded tired and light.

Merodī raised a pink eyebrow as he drank from his own drink. Shinrai saw the gesture and she lazily leant on her side in the chair to face him. She drank from her drink once before replying. She set the glass back on the table and leant in closer to the pink-haired man, her lips parted and Merodī felt hot breath on his cheek and he knew that there was no way to hide the blush crawling over his cheeks.

"I hate wearing dresses." Shinrai whispered with a small, playful, smile.

Merodī almost choked with laughter on his drink. He lowered his glass and wiped his mouth with his sleeve as he chuckled with amusement. Shinrai laughed too, a little louder than Merodī, but that would be the drink getting to her head.

"Muzai-san is very lucky to have you, Shinrai." Merodī commented after he had cleared his throat of laughter and sake.

Shinrai took some food from her plate and idly played with it as she thought of her niece. She then tilted her head to Merodī and leant her head against her other hand, "No," She began and chewed her food, "I'm lucky to have her." She corrected simply.

Muzai made her way past the crowds of people and full tables, over towards the restrooms in the corner of the room. She awkwardly stood outside of the Men's room and looked around to see if anyone was looking her way before reaching a hand up to push the door open, but before she did, a small whimper came from the her right. The redhead whipped her head around to see Hahen hiding in the darkness of the small corridor, behind a large plant In the courner. He had his knees up to his chest and his yellow eye was shining brightly in her direction.

"Hahen..." Muzai whispered and walked over to him. She ducked behind the large plant and sat beside the younger boy, pulling her own knees to her chest.

The redhead's eyes glanced over to the passing people who seemed to ignore them and not notice their presence at all. She blinked a few times and shared a moment of silence with the dark-haired boy beside her.

"C-can't you h-hear it...?" Hahen eventually asked in a quiet voice.

Muzai's eyes turned to look at him with a questioning stare, "Hear... What?" She questioned and blinked dubiously.

Hahen frowned and his head turned to look over at the entrance that seemed to be the furthest thing from the two. Muzai saw his eye twitch and he winced slightly, "Sentouki are fighting." He replied in a grave whisper.

Muzai followed his gaze and frowned at the door. She couldn't see a lot from where she sat, just many faces and the top of the entrance, besides that; no Sentouki.

"How can you hear it and I can't?" Muzai asked, almost stubbornly.

"S-sometimes... Depending on the relationship b-between the Sentouki and the S-Sacrifice..." He paused momentarily and jumped slightly before continuing, "The stronger the b-bond is... The more l-likely it is for us to h-hear it..." His voice was growing fainter and fainter with every word he spoke.

Muzai raised her eyebrows and picked at the red carpet they sat on, her gaze fell back onto Hahen, "Us?" She repeated in question.

"Sacrifices," Hahen replied bluntly, his gaze still fixed on the entrance to the restaurant, "Only Sacrifices can h-hear a select few Sentouki... They can a-always hear their own S-Sentouki no matter what t-though..." He added and hugged his legs loosely.

Muzai looked towards the floor after hearing the younger boy's words. If Sacrifices could always hear their own Sentouki, did that mean she was supposed to always be able to hear Tsumi? Her eyes narrowed slightly at the thought, she may not know a lot about being a Sacrifice, but she was certain that Tsumi was her 's. That's why they were drawn to each other in the first place... Wasn't it...?

"Hahen," The redhead suddenly spoke up, catching the dark-haired boy's attention, "Do you have your name? You know.. The one you're supposed to share with your Sentouki..?" She asked curiously, her fingers continued to pluck at the red fabric.

Hahen felt a small embarrassed blush creep onto his face and he leant his chin on the tops of his knees, "No." He replied quietly.

Muzai stopped picking the carpet and she shot a small smile at Hahen and took one of his bandaged hands in her own, "Neither do I." She stated in a somewhat hurt-cheery tone and laced her fingers through his.

Hahen lifted his chin from his knees slightly and stared intently at Muzai's emerald orbs. Suddenly an urge built up inside of him and his heart began beating faster. He leant in closer to the redhead, only the tiniest bit, and he wondered whether Muzai noticed...Or if she was allowing the younger boy to move closer.

The redhead was looking into Hahen's single, yellow, eye in turn. She was suddenly saddened at the thought of never being able to see Hahen with both of his eyes. She bet that he would look as handsome as his uncle, even more so. Slowly, the sounds around them seemed to wither and grow distant, nothing else seemed to be there except the two of them. And Muzai's head began to inch closer to Hahen's.

For once, the dark-haired boy didn't feel nervous or awkward. He actually felt as though he was doing the most simplist thing in the world. He inched closer and his free hand reached over to gently touch Muzai's face as their heads brushed one another.

Muzai began to close her eyes, as did Hahen. But they were both stopped in moving any further when they both felt a pulse of energy surge through their heads.

Hahen broke away first, he unsteadily stood back up and carefully moved out of his hiding spot and began darting for the entrance. Muzai didn't hesitate to follow quickly. All thoughts the two had were suddenly gone.

* * *

Tsumi took in a slow, painful, breath and ripped the large glass shard from her leg. She clutched it briefly before tossing it aside, allowing it to shatter around her. Moments later, her leg was engulfed in a tight bond of chains and restraints.

The fight had been long and painful, the two hadn't taken much care in defense and were recklessly throwing attacks at each other. Hikari had suffered more damage, but her expression remained fixed with frustration rather than pain.

"I will ask you this once more, Tsumi Kokutan," Hikari began and stood up from the ground, summoning more shattered pieces of glass to rise from the dark floor and float around her sides, "Step aside."

Tsumi smirked and stood up unsteadily. She almost lost her balance and the grip on her leg from her restrain tightened, but she somehow managed to stand tall and wipe the blood that had trickled from her mouth away with her sleeve.

"I don't think so." She replied. Her voice had emotion in it now. A sort of... Happiness.

Hikari sent the shards flying towards her silver-haired foe, who managed to call a defense shield and block them. The pink-eyed girl cursed quietly and she looked down at her unscarred arm, it was covered in restrains, pinning her to the spot she stood at. Whenever she tugged, the restrain would only grow tighter.

"Tell me something," Tsumi began, a dark smile playing on her lips, "I've noticed your arm and, you may say it's not my business, but how did you happen to gain it?" She asked, her voice was humorous and unnerving.

Hikari's eyes glanced from her restrained arm and over to her deformed one. W-R-A-T-H coiled down her pale skin, each letter large and crooked. Her pink-eyes blinked simply as she starred at the marred flesh.

"It's my name. I share it with Gekido-sama." She replied bluntly, her voice trance like. She was so fixed on her answer and the mention of her arm, that she hadn't seen the attack, Tsumi sent, coming.

It struck her across the chest and up her neck, causing restrains to wrap around her wounds tightly. She tried to writher out of the grasps, but they wouldn't allow it. No matter how many times she pulled, they only got tighter.

"I know that I have been absent in the Academy for a few years now. But I don't recall names being cut into Sentouki's skin." Tsumi said with a frown, a small smile tugging at her lips.

"It... Wasn't cut... Gekido-sama said... That I gained it... Over night.." Hikari protested. The restrain on her neck stopping her words every now and again.

Tsumi's unique gaze narrowed and her insanity temporarily left her mind. She inspected her vulnerable opponent from where she stood and continued speaking, "Names do not show up so easily." She stated and looked down at the restraints over her own body.

"Gekido-sama... Wouldn't lie... I must... Complete my... Mission..." Hikari groaned and conjured another attack.

It was weak and it seemed that hardly any effort was put into it at all. Tsumi allowed it to hit her, just to see how weak she had made the great Hoshi Hikari and only ended up with a small burn on her face. She wanted to laugh at the sight before her, but she settled with just ending the fight instead.

"It's been fun. Run along and tell your precious Gekido to leave Muzai and Hahen alone." Tsumi hummed coldly. She began sending the pink-haired girl away with a spell, as much as she wanted to make Hikari suffer, she had to send her back in at least one piece. The more she destroyed, the more Muzai got in trouble.

The atmosphere around her turned white for a split second and then faded into the scenery it once was before. She was standing outside of the restaurant, cool air batting at her fresh wounds and calming her nerves. She felt her hand shaking slightly and quickly grasped it with her other hand. The silver-haired girl took in a deep, slow, breath and calmed herself down. The insanity began to fade away until she felt completely drained of energy and she slumped down to the curb of the pavement.

She put her head in her hands and made a small healing spells. Most of the severe wounds were treated in seconds, but she allowed the tiny ones to linger, like the burn on her cheek. Just as she was about to head back into the restaurant, she was greeted by familiar voices.

"Kokutan-sama!"

"Tsumi!"

The silver-haired girl turned her head around and saw Hahen and Muzai running up to her. She stood up slowly and turned to greet them.

"Good evening." She said in monotone and her gaze studied the worried expressions in front of her.

"Hi... Hikari was h-here.. Wasn't s-she?!" Hahen suddenly blurted and grabbed at the older girl's arm.

Tsumi's gaze fell on Hahen's eye and the younger boy immediately released his hold on her and stepped back nervously, "Yes. She was. But she's gone now." The silver-haired girl replied bluntly.

Muzai stepped up then and stared intently at the older girl's eyes, "Tsumi? Why don't you ever call for me to help you?" She asked, her voice sounded hurt and upset.

Tsumi wasn't entirely sure what the redhead was getting at and she remained silent. Muzai shook her head slightly and reached out to touch Tsumi's arm. The older girl didn't move away and allowed the redhead to touch her. They stood in silence and Muzai kept staring towards the cold ground.

"You keep getting hurt," The younger girl finally spoke, filling the air around them with a hurt voice, "You're almost too careless when you fight, even if you have made it out of every battle so far... I know I'm new to this kind of world, but Tsumi," Her emerald gaze left the ground and she looked up at the older girl with teary eyes, "I won't let you fight alone anymore." She said, her voice strong even through the tears forming in her eyes.

Tsumi didn't say anything at first, instead she just stepped forward and kissed the younger girl's head softly. Once she pulled away, she trailed her pale hand across Muzai's face and hooked her slender fingers under the redhead's chin and made her look up at her.

"That's a promise, you won't be able to keep." Tsumi declared in an expressionless whisper.

Muzai frowned slightly and her hands drifted towards her sides, away from the older girl, "Why?" She asked in a frail voice.

"Because sometimes," Tsumi began and leant forward to whisper into the redhead's ear softly, "I don't want to be saved."

"Tsumi?" A familiar voice trailed through the air behind them.

Muzai quickly stepped away from the older girl and looked over her shoulder to see Shinrai and Merodī walking up to them. The older redhead was leaning on the pink-haired man as they made their way over to the trio.

"Tsumi? It is you." Shinrai said in a cheery tone. Muzai could see how her Aunt's eyes were glazed over, stating the obvious fact that she had been drinking tonight.

"I think we should be getting home you two." Merodī spoke up, his yellow eyes on Hahen and Muzai, never seeming to land on Tsumi.

Hahen nodded and walked beside his uncle. Shinrai craned her neck to look at Tsumi again, she called a good-bye over her shoulder and wobbly leant against Merodī even more.

Muzai turned to Tsumi to say goodnight herself, but the silver-haired girl was already making her way back to the restaurant. She stopped and peered over her shoulder, giving the younger girl a small nod before disappearing back into the building.

Leaving Muzai alone with the dark and the cold.

* * *

The next day came around after a night of restless sleep and troubled thoughts. Muzai groggily made her way to the bathroom and took a shower about two hours earlier than she normally would and changed into a pair of dark leggings and a large colourful hoodie. She pulled her hair into a fluffy ponytail and lounged on the sofa in the sitting room until she decided to make herself breakfast and ready her bento box. There was no point in waiting for Shinrai to wake up, not since she had a few drinks last night.

With everything done, the redhead left the dorm and began to walk to the school. The air was cold with Autumn as the breeze nipped at her fingers, ear and tail. Her cheeks turned pink and everytime she breathed, she could make out a puff of hot air leaving her lips. But there was also something unsettling about the air which the redhead couldn't work out.

Her heart skipped a beat when she felt another presence in the empty school grounds around her. That was another thing, there seemed to be _no one_ else walking around. Sure she was earlier than usual, but there was always somebody up and making there way to school for an early start. Why not today?

"Excuse me." A slick voice drifted through the empty air and caused Muzai to scream in fright.

She jumped and turned around to see a tall man with brightly, lime coloured, eyes and hair tainted the shade of kiwi. He had slightly tanned skin and had no ears or tail. An adult. In the school grounds. The only other person around.

Muzai had the right to be suspicious.

"Can I help you?" She asked and stepped back a little, clutching her bag tightly with one hand, her eyes were fixed on his sly smile and half-closed eyes.

"Not really," He replied and snapped his fingers suddenly. The sharp noise filled the air and echoed around them, "I'm just going to borrow you temporarily." He said, matter-of-factly.

Muzai raised an eyebrow and stepped forward to the mysterious man. She opened her mouth to ask what he had meant, but she was suddenly struck in the back of the head and she fell to the floor. Her emerald eyes weakly looked up and the last thing she saw before completely blacking out was the mysterious man and Hikari Hoshi.

* * *

Hahen ran down the hallway as fast as his legs would carry him. He tunred a sudden corner and slipped up, sending papers flying, as well as knocking two or three students down with him. He didn't have time to apologise however, and picked himself up and quickly continued to run through the hallway. He shot down the stairway and almost fell over once again, but he managed to steady himself before his face could meet the floor. He then ran towards the school's exit and practically jumped out of the doors and into the cold air.

His heart was beating loudly and he slowed down slightly as he came to the school gates. His yellow eye darted in all directions and he was suddenly caught offguard as a hand came from nowhere and grabbed him from behind, another hand then reached up to his mouth to stop him from screaming in fright and getting anyone's attention.

The dark-haired boy struggled at first, but he calmed down and slumped in defeat when he recognised the voice that told him to calm down and he was released.

"Kokutan-sama," Hahen began, his voice was low and he turned around to face the silver-haired girl, "M-Muzai hasn't shown up a-all day..." He stated in a panicked tone.

Tsumi nodded gravely and held out an object towards the younger boy. Hahen glanced down at it with a shocked expression, "That's... That's Muzai's b-bag!" He exclaimed and tried to not raise his voice anymore than he already had.

"Yes, and I'm afraid the rest isn't good news." Tsumi said in a blank voice as she took a piece of paper out from her pocket and handed it to Hahen.

He reached out with shaking hands and took the paper from the older girl, his eye read through it and he felt his stomach turn in fear and shock.

"_Dear Tsumi Kokutan. I understand you've taken a liking to this little Sacrifice, despite the fact you already have one," _It read, "_You have also seemed to take a liking to one of my experiments. And unless you want your precious redhead to be harmed in any way, I suggest you bring him to Shinjuku Gyeon so that we may exchange each others toys and settle this once and for all. - Gekido" _

Hahen slowly looked up from the note and into Tsumi's multi-coloured gaze. He frowned and slowly returned the paper back to the older girl. Everything seemed to go blank for him, he couldn't register the whole events properly and it seemed like everything had quietened down.

"I'm sorry, Hahen," Tsumi said as she took ahold of the younger boy's elbow firmly, "I have to take you to them." She stated expressionlessly. And no matter how much Hahen wanted to cry out and fight against this, he knew better than to talk back to Tsumi Kokutan.

* * *

Muzai stirred slightly and her eyes opened slowly. She felt cold and her fingers had grown numb, her back was laying against something uncomfortable and damp, it didn't take her too long to realise that she was laying on the hard ground out in the open.

She attempted to sit up, but was suddenly pushed down to the ground by something. No, someone.

"Don't move. Gekido-sama wishes for this to go smoothly. If you intervene, you will suffer the consequences." The chilled voice of Hikari filtered the air as she held Muzai to the ground with her foot.

The redhead wanted to bite and claw at the leg above her. Her emerald eyes looked up at the pink-eyed girl. Something was different about her; she seemed quiet now, sadder.

"Not so rough, Hikari," A laid-back voice said. Muzai tilted her head towards the owner of the voice and saw the man from before, sitting up on a bench not so fair away from her, "We wouldn't want to damage something so pure unless necessary." He chimed and his lime gaze fell onto the young redhead on the ground.

Muzai didn't know why, but she felt completely exposed with his eyes on her and looked away, back up at Hikari. The pink-eyed girl's face was blank, but she did stop being rough and lifted her leg just a little from Muzai's chest. The redhead took in a deep, grateful, breath and then began to survey the area around her.

It was Shinjuku Gyeon, the same park where she had kissed Tsumi for the first time. In fact, it was the only kiss she'd ever had in her life. And it had been with Tsumi. But now, all she could think about in this place, was what would happen next.

"Why did you bring me here?" Muzai finally asked, somehow she had summoned the courage to talk, she didn't feel afraid; just angry, "I thought your motive was to kill me." She added rather bluntly.

Hikari blinked her large, sad, eyes and looked from the girl she had pinned down, over to her Sacrifice, who was idly plucking petals from a flower he had picked up. His lime eyes watched as the plant died in his hand and he tossed away the naked stem before relaxing into the bench and draped his arms over the back. He let out a small, dry, chuckle.

"My dear," He began, addressing Muzai, "I have no intention on harming you. You're probably mistaking me for one of my fellow council members, I'm sure one of them has it in for you." He commented dryly and looked over at Muzai.

"That doesn't explain anything." Muzai pointed out bluntly.

Gekido let out a small laugh, "My, she certainly is feisty. I can see why Tsumi took a liking to you," He exclaimed and hung his head over the back of the bench lazily, "I've brought you here, so I may take back what's mine." He added simply.

"What's your's?" Muzai questioned and tried to sit up, but whatever had struck her head before had caused her neck to stiffen and she had no choice but to put her head back down, "You mean Hahen? You can't own him! He never did anything to be treated like this!" The redhead yelled frantically.

Gekido's face had changed from amused to grim. His eyes were dark and a look of impatience crossed his mind, he held up a hand lazily, "Hikari." He muttered simply.

Muzai stopped her shouting once Hikari's foot was pressed harder against her chest. This time she didn't hold back the urge to fight the other girl off and her hands grabbed at the pink-eyed girl's ankle. She bgean pulling and clawing at the white stocking that covered the older girl's leg, but it just caused more pain for herself and she finally gave up and her hands dropped to the ground in defeat.

The redhead let out a small whimper and she closed her eyes. She had heard Gekido's voice, but she didn't bother listening to what it was he had to say. Her mind seemed to be sinking into unconsciousness again, but a sudden voice calling her name brought her back and she snapped her eyes open and looked across the park to see Tsumi walk over to them.

"Tsumi!" The redhead called with relief and desperation.

Gekido raised an eyebrow once his eyes landed on the silver-haired girl. He then looked to the person she had dragged along and a wide smile suddenly possessed his face, "Hahen," He hummed eerily, "I've been worried about you." He mused and patted the spot next to him on the bench.

Muzai was full of shock when she watched as Tsumi pushed Hahen down beside Gekido. The lime-eyed man draped an arm around the dark-haired boy and he seemed to accept it with defeat; he didn't even resist. Tsumi didn't stop there, she continued to walk over to where Muzai was being pinned to the floor by Hikari.

"Release her, Hikari." Gekido ordered dully and traced a sharp nail down the side of Hahen's cheek.

Hikari stepped off of the redhead and joined her Master's side in silence. Tsumi reached down and grabbed the redhead's shoulders and pulled her up to her feet in one swift movement. Muzai noticed how Tsumi had a look of restrain, almost as if she was trying to hold something back. Her eyes were focused on something distant and her mouth was tight and fixed in a thin line.

The silver-haired girl began to walk away then, dragging Muzai by the shoulders. Not even glancing to look back at Hahen and the others.

"Wait," Gekido spoke up, moving his hands away from Hahen and his eyes looked over at the retreating Tsumi and Muzai, "Something's wrong." He declared and slowly stood up from the bench.

Hikari was quickly at Hahen's side, she took ahold of his elbow, but in a gentle motion. The two watched as Gekido began walking over to Tsumi, he reached out towards her and was suddenly caught offguard when the silver-haired girl span around and kicked him in the gut.

He went flying towards the bench and landed on his back roughly, barely missing the bench with his head. Hikari quickly released Hahen's arm and dropped down to her Sacrifice's side. Hahen used this opportunity to bolt from the bench and run over to Tsumi.

Gekido blinked, somewhat stunned, and slowly sat back up. Tsumi was glaring daggers at him. She stood in front of Muzai, and began motioning for Hahen to stay behind her as Gekido stood to his feet.

"It would seem that this arrangement hasn't gone according to plan," Gekido began in an unamused tone, his eyes glanced over to where his three opponents stood, "I declare a battle of spells." He said bluntly.

Tsumi pushed Hahen and Muzai further behind her and she glared her oddly coloured eyes at Gekido, "I accept." She hissed through her teeth.

The whole scenery changed and turned black. At first glance, a usual battlefield, but Muzai began to notice various changes. There were still flowers in the ground, and the bench was still settled behind Gekido and Hikari, there was also a few trees in the distance.

Gekido stepped back slowly as Hikari walked forward and unraveled the bandage from her arm. It fell to the floor and Muzai couldn't help but stare intently at the scars of W-R-A-T-H written down the older girl's long, pale, arm.

"Show them no mercy." The lime-eyed man commanded dully and waved his arm lazily.

Hikari hesitated for a moment, her eyes glancing over the faces of Muzai and lingering on Hahen's. Finally, her pink eyes suddenly took on a distant look and glazed over slightly, it seemed as if she really didn't want to see anything anymore and she raised her scarred arm.

"Gekido-sama's word," She began in a slightly choked voice, "Is absolute." She stated and summoned an attack.

Tsumi deflected it easily and didn't hesitate to counter and strike her opponents with a powerful tear attack. Hikari deflected Gekido more than herself and she gained a small cut on her face.

"Grasp the silver and twist the gold, leave out the innocent and replace the old." Hikari whispered and raised her arm towards her opponents once again.

Tsumi felt her hair being pulled suddenly and her hat was blown off by an invisible gust. The gold earings in her torn and tattered ears begin to turn in their place, causing Tsumi to lose concentration. Muzai wanted to do something to help the older girl, but there was nothing she could do. Beside her, Hahen was mumbling something to himself, and Muzai half expected the younger boy to cast a spell of his own.

While Tsumi was being distracted, Hikari sent a spear of electricity at her. But Tsumi reacted quickly and deflected it. Her shield of defense cracked slightly and there was no way she could keep defending herself and the others. So instead she allowed the feeling of madness to take over her movements.

Hikari was surprised to see so many rapid attacks being shot at her. She tried to defend herself from them, but her arms and legs got torn and cut in the needle storm and restraints began to engulf her limbs, forcing her onto her knees. She yelped loudly and fell to the ground, she turned her head to look over at Gekido. He was untouched and had an amused look on his face. Hikari felt a little hurt when she saw how her Master was paying no attention to how much damage she was getting.

"Ah, so this is what your dear Sensei was always trying to hide," Gekido hummed as he walked passed Hikari and made his way towards Tsumi, "Fighting causes the little sane part of you to grow weaker and your mind overcomes with a sense of madness, am I right?" He added and stopped a few feet away.

Muzai looked up and saw that Tsumi's eyes had taken on a look of madness and an unnerving smile had crawled onto her lips. But she was frowning, almost as if the real Tsumi was trapped behind this... Insanity.

"Let's go over the obvious facts," Gekido began and he placed his arms behind his back, "Rai and Tio.. Do you remember them? When they returned to the Academy after fighting you, they could only whisper one name; and that would have been the little mischief-maker behind you," He nodded his head towards Muzai, who backed away behind Tsumi, "And the probability of them ever walking again is very much zero. Especially seeing as how you practically rebuilt their limbs from your motorbike." He added bluntly.

Muzai felt Tsumi tense and her fingers curled into fists.

"And then there was Kuro," Gekido continued, "He lost his life just to attempt to blow you up."

Muzai heard Tsumi mutter, "Shut up." Under her breath as the older man continued talking.

"And then there was Tsuyo and Supīdo," His voice had become lighter now, seemingly pleased with himself, "When they returned to my office, well, I thought that they had traveled to some sort of foreign Zoo and got trapped with a pair of lions or tigers, seeing as the state they were in."

Tsumi was shaking now, her eyes menacing and she was whispering death threats lowly.

"And when you sent my dear Hikari home all torn up, I knew I had to come and see you for myself," Gekido announced and stepped closer, "You truly are the most unpure creature in the world," He declared in a grim tone, "If your Sensei could see you know, he'd be ashamed to call you his-"

Muzai didn't really understand what had happened until she saw Gekido's head fall to the floor with a sound of flesh and blood. The rest of his body remained on two legs for a moment before staggering and collapsing to the ground in a heap of spasm attacks. The redhead slowly looked up at Tsumi, who had her hand outstretched, but the most threatening thing the younger girl saw; was the satisfied smile on Tsumi's face.

The silver-haired girl's eyes darted from Gekido's decapitated body and over to Hikari, who was staring at her Master's body with every physical emotion except sadness. The pink-eyed girl felt Tsumi's stare and she looked up with fright and began to struggle under her restraints.

Tsumi seemed unmerciful as she conjured an attack which began to light up in her still outstretched hand. Hahen broke away from behind the silver-haired girl and darted over to Hikari.

"Hahen! No, wait!" Muzai screamed and was about to chase after him, but Tsumi held her in place and grabbed ahold of her small shoulder.

The attack couldn't be stopped and it was sent straight towards Hikari. Hahen practically jumped on her restrained body and held her tightly. Hikari couldn't return the favour, instead she just buried her face in his neck and they embraced the attack together.

Muzai screamed Hahen's name over the erupting light which spread throughout the entire battleground. The black walls of the never ending darkness began to crack and it seemed to explode and shatter like smashed glass.

Then the scene went back to normal.

Muzai was laying in the park, the cold air attacking her bare skin and biting at her fingers. She opened her eyes and saw Tsumi kneeling only inches away from her. The silver-haired girl seemed to be looking down at her own hands, she studied them as if they weren't really her own. The redhead hesitated at first, but she eventually willed herself to touch the older girl's shoulder gently.

Tsumi whipped her head around to face Muzai. The redhead thought she saw a dark twinkle in the older girl's eyes, but it quickly vanished and Tsumi's expression returned to her usual, unreadable, face.

"I apologise for allowing you to witness that, Muzai." Tsumi muttered and looked back down at her hands before looking over to where Gekido had been. But his body was surely lost within the darkened world of battle now.

Muzai was about to tell the older girl that she didn't need to apologise, but her mind suddenly focused on Hahen. She stood up and ran over to where the younger boy had gone to, and what Muzai found was a bit unexpected.

Hahen was on his knees with his arms draped around Hikari, the pink-eyed girl was doing the same to him. Neither of them had no signs of damage, Hikari wasn't even bleeding anymore. Instead they were marked with something else, something completely beyond pain. On Hahen's left hand, there was a small glowing pattern, it read; _Harmless. _And on Hikari's left hand was the exact same thing.

Hahen groaned slightly and opened his eye. He blushed frantically and jumped out of Hikari's grasp and he jumped to his feet, "I... I'm s-sorry H-Hikari-sama...!" He blurted rapidly.

Hikari wasn't listening to his apologies. Instead she was holding herself as tears ran down her face.

"What am I supposed to do...? I've l-lost my Sacrifice...!" She gasped through loud sobs.

Hahen nervously stepped closer and reached out his hand towards the older girl's shoulder. He stopped however, and his eye focused on the name inscribed on his hand. He then spotted the identical marking on Hikari's hand and his face brightened with happiness.

"Hikari-sama," He said gently and knelt back down to the pink-haired girl, he carefully pointed at her left hand as he continued to speak, "I know that Gekido-sensei carved his own name on your arm... But look, now you have your true name..." His voice was surprisingly steady and Hikari stopped crying slightly and she glanced down at her hand.

"You don't have to be sad anymore." Hahen declared and he held out his newly marked hand.

Hikari slowly looked at Hahen's name and then up at his yellow eye, "You mean... You're... My... Sacrifice...?" She asked in a whisper.

Hahen nodded slowly and he smiled at the older girl. Hikari's face changed from sad and turned to excited as she jumped onto Hahen and tackled him to the ground.

"Hahen-chan!" Hikari squealed and pinned the dark-haired boy to the ground as she sat on his chest, "You can tell me to do anything and I will! Anything for my Master!" She said with a deep frown on her face.

Hahen gulped and he tried to hide the frantic blush on his face, but failed terribly. He paused and looked up at the pink-eyes staring down at him and he hesitated before replying, "I... I... I don't want to see you sad anymore... Never again.." His voice was almost as low as a whisper.

Hikari blinked and then sat back slightly on Hahen, she frowned briefly and wiped the tears from her cheeks, "In that case, I will smile everyday." She declared and smiled widely with enthusiasm.

Hahen couldn't help but smile back. He didn't even care about the weight on his stomach anymore.

Muzai suddenly cleared her throat, catching their attention. Hahen blushed more and wished he could disappear. Hikari reacted differently and jumped up from Hahen's chest and ran over to Muzai before bowing and taking the redhead's hands in her own.

"I apologise for causing you trouble, Muzai-sama." Hikari apologised and bowed again.

Muzai awkwardly accepted her forgiveness. She knew that Hikari was the type of Sentouki to believe that her Sacrifice was the light in her world, but instead she had been abused by a greedy man and used for his own needs.

The redhead watched as Hikari helped Hahen up to his feet. The two surely had some sort of connection. And Muzai could only guess it was what Gekido had put them through was what made them come together. But the redhead decided not to question what they had been through.

One of the most important things Muzai had learnt, was that some things are better left unknown.

* * *

**A/N**

And so ends the first part. Now we have all of the main-ish characters and the story can began. Basically I wanted to get Hikari and Hahen to beccome a unit, without having to go into full detail about their past. (which will all be explained in the near future)

And of course we had to see Tsumi's darker side. Yes she has... Isuues.

It's all falling into place. I thank you for those who have read the story so far, I hope you have enjoyed. I will be writing an extra chapter for Halloween tomorrow, (Nothing to do with the storyline) which should be full of scares and laughter.

*Bows, bows* Thank you.


	25. Omake

Author's Notes.

Hello, hello, hi. The following chapter has absolutely nothing to do with the story, at all. It is completely an extra/spin-off. *Bows, bows* Please enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Loveless.

* * *

Muzai and her companions had taken to eating their lunches in the music room in the afternoon. Their small table they used to sit at was _too_ small to be seated at all together now, so Merodī had said they could eat in the music room, as long as they didn't get any food in the instruments.

The redhead sat up at the piano and lazily played a tune with one hand. She kept her head fixed down towards the ebony and ivory keys, but her eyes were hardly open. Tsumi was writing some things out on the large chalkboard behind the large desk Merodī usually sat at, the silver-haired girl busied herself with calculating random theories on whatever it was she thought in her head. The desk closest to Muzai, sat Hahen and across from him sat Hikari. The two shared their food on the small desk.

Although the room was silent, besides the tune Muzai was playing, the sounds of chalk moving across the blackboard and the crunching of food from Hahen and Hikari, it seemed peaceful. A sort of sanctuary between the four.

But the happy peace was soon to be disrupted.

Hahen took a small chocolate from his bento box and unwrapped it delicately. Hikari looked up at him that moment as she drank from her juice box, her pink-eyes suddenly widened at the sight of the candy and she spat her juice out at the young boy across from her.

"I can't believe I almost forgot!" Hikari shouted and quickly scrambled to stand up on the small desk her food was on. The pink-eyed girl had a habit of climbing on top of desks and trying to grab everyone's attention it seemed, "I have an announcement to make!" She exclaimed loudly.

Muzai stopped her music and looked over at the older girl. Tsumi flinched slightly and her chalk snapped against the blackboard before she looked over her shoulder to listen too.

"Does any of you know what tomorrow is?" Hikari questioned as she crossed her arms over her large chest.

Muzai and Tsumi shared a confused look and then shook their heads slowly. Hahen, who had been busy rubbing the juice away from his face, looked up slowly at his partner standing on the desk. His face flushed in a deep red as he looked straight up Hikari's very short skirt by accident and he almost fell back off of his chair. Instead he scurried away and quickly sat behind Muzai, covering his face with his hands to hide the blush.

Hikari, oblivious to having flashed her Sacrifice, tilted her head to the side and frowned, "It's Halloween!" She said with a wide smile.

Silence.

This time, a vein popped up by one of her pink-eyes and Hikari began waving her arms around frantically, "You don't know what Halloween is?! It's one of the greatest days of the year! You get to dress up and eat candy and scare people without getting told off about it!" She exclaimed and began jumping up and down on the small desk she stood on.

Muzai's ears perked up slightly at the sound of candy and she swung her legs over the piano bench she was seated at and stood up, "Candy?" She asked in a quiet voice.

Hikari stopped bouncing like a maniac and stared over at the redhead, "Yes! All you have to do is dress up!" She explained and put her hands on her hips in triumph.

Muzai blinked her large, emerald, eyes and sat back down at the piano, "I'm not really into cosplay." She stated and began playing a tune again.

Hikari began bouncing up and down again in frustration. Merodī suddenly appeared in the room and greeted everyone, causing Hikari to fall off of the desk and land on her back.

"I thought I made it painfully clear that you shouldn't stand on desks," Merodī stated bluntly and stepped over the pink-eyed girl, "Especially in my classroom." He added.

"Good afternoon, Merodī-sensei." Muzai spoke up with a small smile and continued to play the piano.

"Muzai-san," The older man said with a small nod, he walked up to his large desk and dropped a bunch of documents and papers onto it before returning his gaze back at the students in his classroom, "Are you all getting ready for tomorrow's event?" He asked with a wide smile.

Hikari jumped up to her feet and stared with wide eyes at the older man, "Is it for Halloween?!" She asked frantically.

"Yes, it is." Merodī replied with a small laugh.

The pink-eyed girl jumped in excitement and ran over to Hahen, who was still blushing terribly. She grabbed his hand and pulled him over to another desk which she awkwardly climbed and pulled Hahen up with her.

"It's decided then!" Hikari began and raised a fist towards the ceiling in glory, "Tomorrow, everyone dresses up!" She stated.

* * *

"WHAT!? THAT'S THE BEST YOU COULD DO!?" Hikari's high pitched voice screamed through the hallways of the school the following day.

Muzai blinked in un-amusement and nodded in response, "Yes. I think it's a great costume." The redhead said and yawned loudly.

Her outfit wasn't scary. There was no blood, no claws, no capes or fangs or pumpkins or bats. She just stood there, wearing a onesie, of a cow. She even had an old fashioned bell cows used to wear around her neck.

Hikari put a hand on her hip and examined the redhead slowly. She herself had dressed up as a witch, she had a broomstick in one hand and a witch's hat on her head. She had an extremely short outfit on that was hardly presentable in public, and large fishnets up her legs.

"Oh I see," The pink-eyed witch said with a small sigh, "You're _Moo_zai." She said and laughed. Somehow the cackle complimented her costume rather well.

"Laugh all you want," Muzai said and walked over to sit at the piano she had been occupying yesterday, the bell around her neck rang a she moved, "You never said I should dress up as something scary." She stated and tried to play a song through the glove-like-hooves she had on her hands.

Hikari bowed in the redhead's direction, "You're right. Forgive me, Muzai-san." She said apologetically, but a small amused smile played on her pink black-painted lips.

Merodī came in the room suddenly and Muzai was shocked to see what her teacher was wearing. It seemed he had slicked down his bright, pink, hair and tainted it a darker colour. His face was paper-white and around his eyes were large dark circles which seemed to make his yellow eyes beam brighter. He had a scruffy, torn, white button-up shirt which had specks of red around the cuffs, he also had a pair of tight, black, laced trousers on and platformed boots. His neck and back were covered in a silky cape and Muzai could have sworn she could see sharp fangs whenever he opened his mouth.

The redhead couldn't deny her obvious crush for her teacher when he looked like that.

"Merodī-sensei!" Hikari exclaimed and stared at the older man with wide eyes, "You look... Amazing.." She confessed and bowed quickly.

"Thank-you, Hoshi-san," Merodī replied and placed even more papers and files down on his over-flowing desk, he then looked over at Muzai and laughed slightly, "Lovely outfits girls. Very frightening." He mused.

Muzai tried to hide the blush on her face and she pulled the hood on her onsie down across her eyes and nose, making her look even more like a cow. She had totally forgotten about what she had worn once she had seen her Vampire-sensei.

The older man walked over to the two girls and handed them a piece of paper each, he told them that the events of the Halloween's festival were listed on them and that they were welcome to be involved.

"Merodī-sensei?" Hikari spoke up after she had checked out the names of the events on her paper, "Do you know where Hahen-sama is?" She asked, her adrenaline seemed to have dyed down and she had a look of slight concern on her face.

"Yes, I think he's in Jamu's classroom," Merodī replied as he tapped a sharp fingernail on his white chin in thought, "They're making candy in there today." He added and then turned back to his papers and documents.

Hikari bowed and then quickly left the room, on her own little mission to find her new Master. Muzai watched her go and she looked back up at her Vampire-sensei, a small blush creeping on her face.

"Ah, Muzai-san." Merodī spoke over his shoulder as he ticked something off of one of his papers.

"Yes?" The redhead replied instantly.

"Kokutan was looking for you. She's in the cafeteria." The pink-haired Vampire said in a concentrated tone.

Muzai's eyes widened slightly. Normally Merodī acted as if Tsumi was never in a room, or never existed full stop. But to know that the silver-haired girl had actually talked to him just to give a message made the redhead smile slightly.

"Thank-you, Merodī-sensei. I'll be going now." Muzai said and stood up from the piano bench and made her way out of the music room.

There was a lot of other students all dressed up and making their way towards all the events being held. There was an aroma of heavy scented sweets and sugar, it was a very sickly kind of sensation, but the redhead was enjoying it. She wondered why her parents, or her Aunt, had never mentioned Halloween before.

She didn't let it bother her too much and quickly darted off towards the cafeteria to find her Tsumi.

* * *

"I don't t-think we should be here, Hikari-sama." Hahen whined as he was quickly pulled into the Nurse's office.

"Don't call me 'sama.' I am your servant, you are my sama." Hikari stated and pulled the younger boy over to one of the beds and sat him down.

Hahen nervously watched as the older girl hopped up onto the counter built into the corner of the room and knock down a jar of cotton balls. And Hahen knew all too well by now that Yūjin was not going to be happy about that.

"Ah... H-Hikari..? Is this really necessarily?" The dark-haired boy asked awkwardly.

Hikari began to rummage around the cabinet above the counter she stood on until she located a box of assorted bandages and knocked various objects out of the shelves. She looked over at Hahen for a moment and stopped for a second, "Does Hahen-sama wish for me to stop?" She asked simply.

Hahen gulped and began to pick at the bed sheet. He didn't want to spoil the older girl's fun, especially now that she was free from being ordered by Gekido.

"A-as long as you think we w-won't get in trouble... I s-suppose it will be f-fine." He said in a quiet tone.

Hikari's expression immediately changed and she jumped off of the counter and set the box of bandages beside Hahen with enthusiasm. She began tugging off the younger boy's jacket he wore and quickly began wrapping his small frame in bandages.

"Why did Hahen-sama not dress up?" Hikari asked as she covered Hahen's shirt and bare arms in bandages.

"I-I...I.." The younger boy couldn't find the words as the older girl continued to touch his skin and wrap him up.

"Hahen-sama will look good as a Mummy." Hikari commented and began to cover Hahen's face up.

The dark-haired boy was about to ask the older girl to stop calling him "Sama." But there was shuffling on the over side of the door and he stopped himself from making a noise. Hikari acted quickly and pushed Hahen further onto the bed and drew the curtain, that hang loosely to the side, around the bed to hide her Master. She then rushed up to the fallen cotton balls and began to pick them up.

"What are you doing in here?" An annoyed voice questioned.

Hikari looked up to see a tall man with blonde hair and red eyes. She remembered him from the Academy.

"Mister Yūjin!" Hikari said with a warm smile, she stood up and examined the older man with a frown, "Why aren't you dressed up?" She asked with a pout.

Yūjin scoffed lightly and closed the door behind him, "I don't do Halloween," He stated rather bluntly, his red eyes then glanced across the messy room and he shrieked loudly, "What the hell happened in here?!" He asked and ran over to the messy cupboard.

Hikari blinked in confusion and threw the cotton balls back onto the counter, without the jar.

"Mister Yūjin. You need to be happy! Today is special." Hikari declared and grabbed the blonde man's wrist and pulled him over to the seat in front of his desk. She pushed him onto it and his red eyes widened.

"What are you doing...?" Yūjin questioned with a slightly higher pitch than usual.

"I'm dressing you up!" Hikari replied and sat herself down on the blonde man's lap.

"H-Hikari! This really isn't appropriate!" Yūjin protested and tried to sit up, but the pink-eyed girl was surprisingly strong.

"I'm making you a demon," Hikari said simply and pulled a make-up kit from her hat and began painting the older man's face black, "It will look good because of your red eyes!" She declared and continued to decorate the Nurse she sat on.

Suddenly the door opened and someone stepped inside, "Toi-chan, I was making candy for the events and I got splash back from one of the chocolates, and now my eye is-" They stopped in their tracks, one hand over their bright, orange, eyes.

Yūjin gasped, "Jamu-sensei! I didn't hear you knock." He said, trying to seem casual.

Jamu shook his head slowly with a frown, he then crossed his arms and shot a glare between the two in the chair, "So when you said you were too busy to dress up this morning; this is what you were busy with." He said it like it was a statement, not a question.

When Yūjin opened his mouth to protest, Jamu turned on his heel and left.

"Wait! Wait!" Yūjin yelled and pushed Hikari off of him, "Chiberry-chan! I can explain!" He called as he ran down out of the room and down the hallways.

Hikari simply blinked and picked herself off of the ground. She put the make-up back in her hat and then placed it on her head. She then reached for her broomstick which she had tossed to the floor at some point. Finally, she drew back the curtain around the bed to see Hahen had finished up his "costume" himself.

"You look great, Hahen-sama." Hikari said with a bright smile. Hahen couldn't help but smile back.

* * *

Muzai walked into the cafeteria and jogged over to where a familiar silver-haired girl stood. At first, the redhead didn't really take much notice of Tsumi's attire. Not that she really could anyway, the older girl did have her back to her when she came into the room.

"Tsumi." Muzai called happily and joined the silver-haired girl.

Tsumi slowly turned around to meet the redhead's eyes. And Muzai screamed slightly. The older girl's face was completely thrashed and torn, most of the skin on the left side of her face was peeling off, exposing the red liquid trickling down her cheek and down her chin. Her lips were a sick, purple, colour and her clothes were covered in blood. She had a white shirt that _used_ to have sleeves, but they were all torn up and had bloodied hand prints covering her torso. She also wore a short checkered black and red skirt, and her lean legs were exposed all the way down to the ankle, covered in bloodied markings and torn flesh, and on her feet were small stiletto shoes and in her hand she had a large axe.

Then Muzai understood; zombie.

"You scared the life out of me," Muzai said with a loud sigh of relief. She looked up and down at Tsumi once more and her eyes widened, "Tsumi! Where's your hat and coat?" She asked frantically as her eyes glided over the silver-haired girl's ears and tail.

"I figured they wouldn't look out of place with this type of costume," The older girl replied simply and her multi-coloured eyes glanced down at the redhead with what looked liked amusement, "I like your costume. It's cute." She added with a monotoned voice.

Once again, Muzai couldn't contain her blushing and she began to pick on the insides of her gloves nervously. Her emerald eyes then looked across the room to see that some students were busy moving tables away to lean against the wall, making the cafeteria look a lot bigger than it usually looked.

"Is this where we'll be spending the main event?" The redhead asked and crossed her black and white arms.

"No. The main event will be hosted outside in the sports area, this is the place we'll be using for a different event." Tsumi replied and began to throw her axe between her bloodied hands lazily.

Muzai raised her eyebrows in curiosity and she looked back up at the older girl, "What event is happening here?" She asked.

"Well, last year, students put in suggestions as to what we should do this year. When the teachers picked out the suggestions, one of them turned out to be a Truth or Dare game. But it has different rules." Tsumi explained bluntly.

"How are they different?" Muzai asked.

"You'll have to wait until this evening." Tsumi stated and began to walk out of the room.

Muzai quickly rushed up to her side, her cow-bell on her neck jingling as she went, "How come you get to know about it and I don't?" She whined as she jumped in front of Tsumi and began walking backwards as the silver-haired girl walked forward.

Tsumi smiled at the little cow walking in front of her, "Because I was the one who put the suggestion in." She replied simply.

* * *

Hahen and Hikari walked towards the cooking classroom. There seemed to be no one else around down this part of the building, and it was almost eerie. Things only got worse when the lights above them began to flicker on and off. Hahen jumped slightly and grabbed Hikari's bandaged arm in fright, the older girl didn't react quite the same way, instead she seemed happy and cheery.

"Hahen-sama, someone must be playing a trick on us!" She declared and continued to walk ahead.

"It's n-not a very nice trick..." Hahen replied quietly and continued to hold onto Hikari's arm.

The end of the corridor was pitch black, and that was precisely where the cooking class was. Hikari stopped temporarily and listened as footsteps came closer and closer. Hahen yelped slightly when he saw two figures walking towards them from the darkness.

They were definitely twins, they had the identical facial expressions and had the same shade of violet in their eyes. The only odd thing about them was their hair colour. They were holding each other's hands as they walked closer and closer. They wore blue-like dresses and were repeating the same thing over and over again;

"_Come play with us. Forever and ever and ever._"

Hahen screamed loudly and began to step back, "It's the Grady Daughters!" He yelled and ran away from the twins.

Hikari watched Hahen run off and blinked simply, she then looked back at the twins. She smiled at them and stepped closer, "I love playing!" She said happily.

The twins stopped and exchanged a glance. They then began to step back slowly, "Actually, we've got other things to do." They declared and ran back into the darkened hallway. Hikari followed happily.

* * *

Rīdā crossed her arms stubbornly and looked over at the children gathered around the counter she was working at. She had volunteered to assist with the events today, but she had really only done it so that she could spend time with Tsumi. But instead, she had to waste her time cooking sweets and making children laugh.

"Don't look at me," She snapped and pulled a batch of chocolates out from the oven beside her, "I'm not giving the candy out. Shizuka is." She stated and pointed a red fingernail at a young man who had been standing in the corner of the room.

The children shared looks of confusion as to how long the older man had been standing there for, and slowly made their way towards him. Shizuka watched them approach with his chocolate coloured eyes and he simply handed the candy over before they could ask for it. Then, as simple as that, the children left the room.

Rīdā stared at her companion with a look of complete disappointment. She walked over to the Frankenstein-monster, that Shizuka managed to pull off rather well, and crossed her arms over her chest.

"What the hell was that?" She asked, blue eyes glared behind her glasses intently.

"I gave them candy." Shizuka replied. He found it amusing as to how Rīdā could use the word 'hell' so casually when she wore a devil tail and horns.

"You do not give out candy like that! You have to be scary about it." The dark-haired girl stated.

"How?" Shizuka muttered.

Rīdā rolled her eyes at him. Then she heard approaching footsteps and quickly took the candy from her roommate, "Watch this." She said with a sweet smile and walked over to the door.

Before she could answer it though, it opened suddenly and struck Rīdā in the face. The bowl of candy she had taken from Shizuka went flying and sweets landed everywhere within the room. Two identical people ran into the room and ducked behind a counter seconds after.

Rīdā shot the two a death glare, "Migi! Hidari!" She yelled in anger, "Do you have any idea how many hours I've wasted into making those treats?!" She added and walked over to her cowering cousins.

"We had good reason to run like that." Hidari said quickly.

"Yeah! There's a crazy girl running after us!" Migi agreed and peered up at Rīdā slowly.

The she-devil was about to ask what her cousins had meant, but her answer soon came when a tall girl with pink-eyes and dressed up as a witch came into the room. Shizuka walked over to her slowly and handed her some candy.

"No! Be scary, you idiot!" Rīdā snapped and walked over to her roommate, "Sorry about him," She said to the pink-eyed girl, "He has no sense of imagination." She stated and examined the witch slowly.

"Where did those twins go?" The younger girl asked and looked around the room slowly, "I'm sure they came this way."

A small, playful, smile crossed Rīdā's lips and she chewed on a piece of candy evilly, "There used to be twins that would come here everyday," She said with a sigh, "But they died. A long time ago." She stated and watched how the pink-eyed girl's face suddenly turned into a shocked expression.

Before anything else was said, Muzai, Tsumi, and Jamu walked into the room. A cowering Hahen followed closely behind them.

Rīdā ran over to Tsumi and stared at her intently, "Oh my... You look..." She paused and checked the torn side of the silver-haired girl's face carefully, "Very scary." She finally declared.

"Thank you, you look great too." Tsumi replied bluntly and walked over to a tray of chocolates.

Muzai watched as the Rīdā followed closely behind Tsumi and they continued talking together. The redhead was full of jealousy, but she didn't want to spoil the happy vibe in the air and so she just looked over at the many bowls of candy in the room and decided to try and make conversation with the Frankenstein-monster holding some sweets.

Jamu sent Hikari an evil glare as he walked around to his desk and began ticking things off on his event paper. The older man chewed on a piece of chocolate as his orange eyes surveyed the candy which had been made in his classroom.

"How many batches have you made Rīdā?" Jamu asked.

"Ugh..." The dark-haired devil began counting on her fingers and then finally turned to the cooking teacher, "About twenty. They go surprisingly quick." She stated and then turned back to Tsumi.

Jamu nodded and began moving away from his desk, but was suddenly grabbed by something around the leg and his face almost met the floor. He whipped his head around and his face relaxed some what.

"Hidari-" He began, but was cut off by the student on his leg.

"I'm not Hidari! I'm Migi!" They exclaimed and wrapped their arms tightly around their teacher's leg, "Hidari's busy looking up the witch's skirt!" They added.

"Oh, well... Could you let go of me now?" Jamu asked as he stood awkwardly on one leg.

There was a small silence between the two. And then finally.

"No." Migi replied and held on tighter to Jamu's leg.

* * *

Eventually the evening came around and Muzai's group made their way to the cafeteria where other groups were all seated in random places in circles on the floor. Muzai frowned as she saw the activities going on between the individual groups, all seemed to be doing something different.

"Come with me, Muzai." Tsumi spoke up and took ahold of the younger girl's hand and dragged her towards a large cauldron in the centre of the room.

"What's this?" The redhead asked in wonder.

Tsumi smirked lightly, "It's a part of my event. You put your hand in and pick a card, depending on what the card says is what our group will do." She explained simply and gave Muzai a small push towards the cauldron.

"You want me to pick what we'll do?" The redhead asked in surprise.

The silver-haired zombie nodded and gestured for the younger girl to pick one. Muzai gulped and reached a hand into the cauldron and plucked a card out. Tsumi walked over to the redhead and peered over the younger girl's shoulder to read the card; _Tell the group your most fearful thoughts. _

"Good choice." Tsumi said and walked over to where everyone else had formed a circle on the floor.

Tsumi sat down and crossed her legs, Muzai sat beside her to her left and Rīdā crawled over to the silver-haired girl's right. Beside Rīdā was Shizuka, Hidari, Migi, Jamu, Yūjin, Hikari and Hahen.

"Our group has to tell their most fearful secrets." Muzai announced and threw the card in the middle of the group for all to see.

"How d-do we decide who g-goes first?" Hahen asked nervously looking over at Migi and Hidari, who were still dressed as the Grady daughters.

"We can use this," Tsumi suggested bluntly and dropped her axe in the middle of their circle, "We can turn it and whoever the sharp part points at; goes first." She declared.

"Good idea." Rīdā commented and sucked on the lolly in her mouth.

Hikari reached out and twirled the axe and everyone waited for it to stop. When it did, the axe was pointing at Hidari.

The twin blinked in surprise and awkwardly moved around where they sat, "Ugh... My greatest fear is... Having to go to the bathroom without someone going with me." Beside Hidari, Migi was awkwardly avoiding everyone's gaze and shuffled slightly towards Jamu.

"Really? I thought it would be trying to choose which restroom to go to in public." Rīdā commented dryly and spun the axe again.

This time, it landed on Hahen. Everyone looked at the younger boy and he nervously looked away.

"Ugh... M-my greatest f-fear is..." He paused momentarily, remembering how not everyone at this circle knew about the Academy, "Ugh.. My greatest fear is... The G-Grady daughters." He stated and pulled his knees to his chest.

Some people laughed and shifted in their sitting spots to get more comfortable, seeing as how it seemed they were going to be spending the rest of the evening here. The axe was spun again, and the hilt landed towards Yūjin.

"I don't do Halloween." The blonde man stated and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Then why are you here?" Jamu asked, giving him a daring eye, "Just join in and stop spoiling everyone's fun." He added.

Yūjin rolled his eyes and sighed loudly, "Fine," He growled and closed his red eyes in thought, "Six years ago, when I lived in Kanagawa, I threw a boomerang and it never came back. Now I'm in Tokyo and I live in constant fear." He said. It was hard to tell whether he was being sarcastic or if those events had really happened.

"That's it?" Jamu blurted, "Honestly Toi-chan, how can you live in fear of that?" He asked.

"Okay, you try and scare me. Tell me your greatest fear." Yūjin countered and turned to the younger man.

Jamu's eyes widened and he looked away from the red eyes glaring at him, he then suddenly stood up, "I left the oven on." He declared and ran out of the large room.

Yūjin scoffed and closed the space up in the circle, he then span the axe and watched as it choose the next person, and the next and the events continued until everyone had confessed. There was nothing terrifyingly scary about their confessions, but it was fun while it lasted.

Muzai couldn't help but cringe slightly when Rīdā had said that her greatest fear was losing Tsumi. The redhead couldn't really blame her though, losing Tsumi would be almost life-threatening. Especially if someone were to come after her again.

Finally the day ended and Muzai parted with everyone. The redhead walked out into the cold air, thankful for the cow outfit she wore. Her emerald eyes surveyed her surroundings and she gasped suddenly when she saw a familiar foe.

Miryoku.

The crimson-haired boy saw the redhead walk up to him and he held up his hands in the air lamely, "I'm just here for the candy." He stated and slowly walked around the redhead, arms still raised and he ducked into the building she had just left.

Muzai just stood there, blinking in wonder. She then shook it off and walked back to her dorm. She stepped inside, greeted by the warmth of her home, but came face-to-face with a wrecked image. It seemed there had been a struggle of some sort, it was like watching a horror movie. There were pillows scattered all over the floor of the living room, the sofa was a mess, and one of the armchairs had been knocked over.

Muzai rushed into the kitchen, calling her Aunt's name. But she was no where to be seen. The redhead then ran back into the hallway and screamed in surprise when Shinrai stepped out of the bathroom.

"What's wrong Muzai?" The older woman asked as she rubbed her wet hair slowly with a towel.

Muzai blinked a few times and let out a long sigh, "Nothing... It's just... Halloween getting to my head..." The younger girl replied and pulled her cow hood down and let her hair fall around her embarrassed face.

"Okay then, sleep well, Love." Shinrai said with a small smile and kissed her niece's forehead before walking off towards her room.

Muzai sighed loudly and went to her own room. She untied the cow-bell off of her neck and pulled off the embarrassing costume before crawling into bed. A sudden thought hit her just then.

...She was sure she had seen bite marks on her Aunt's neck. A visit from a certain vampire probably caused that...


End file.
